












Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 









GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I. 

With the French Showman 

# 


• 

• 

PAGE 

15 

II. 

The Dog Meets a Friend 

• 


• 

• 

25 

III. 

The Home of Helen and Christopher 

• 

• 

33 

IV. 

The Gypsy Dog Finds a New 

Home 

• 

• 

45 

V. 

The Gypsy’s Flight . 

• 

• 

• 

• 

57 

VI. 

A Confidential Talk 

• 

• 

• 

• 

69 

VII. 

In the Gypsy Camp . . 

• 

• 

• 

• 

87 

VIII. 

Plans for a Journey . 

• 

• 

• 

• 

97 

IX. 

Out Into the Big World . 

• 

• 

• 

• 

109 

X. 

The Sailor and the Ship . 

• 

• 

• 

• 

127 

XI. 

Gypsy's Voyage 

• 

• 

• 

• 

137 

XII. 

In a Strange Land 

• 

• 

• 

• 

147 

XIII. 

What Gypsy Found 

• 

• 

• 

• 

157 

XIV. 

Much in Little . 


• 

• 

• 

169 

XV. 

Gypsy Makes Another Mistake 

• 

• 

• 

177 

XVI. 

A Talk at Midnight 


• 

• 


187 

XVII. 

A Council of War 

• 

• 

• 

• 

197 

XVIII. 

The March Upon the Foe 

• 

• 

• 

• 

207 

XIX. 

The Battle in the Woods 

• 

• 

• 

• 

217 

XX. 

In Safe Harbor . 


• 


• 

227 


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


‘All ! I have caught you, then, with my drum ! ’ ” Frontispiece . 
The Gypsy began to pick up stones and throw 

them after the flying animal” . . facing page 40 

‘Don’t you know me, Galopoff ?’ ” asked Gypsy 
Joe was suddenly startled by a barking close at 

his heels ” 

Gypsy crouched tight down, and held on for his 

life” 

Gypsy crawled softly out, and was free ! ” 

He sat down under a tree, and leaned against 

the trunk ” 

Gypsy found himself flying through the air” . 

Galopoff galloped along the road towards Chris- 
topher’s home ” 

‘ Now, Chris, let me know all about it ’ ” 

The oldest one drew a pistol, and tried to fire 

it” 

Gypsy barked himself hoarse, as he leaped 
upon Santa Claus ” 

(ix) 


72 


104 


144 

t/ 

160 


164 


184 


208 


220 

1/ 

224 

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GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


CHAPTER I 

WITH THE FRENCH SHOWMAN 

“ /^kNLY fifty centimes, ladies and gentle- 
1 W men ! Only fifty centimes more, and 
you see my little dog perform! He 
shall walk for you, he shall play dead for you, 
he shall do a dozen tricks so soon as I have but 
a few more coppers ! ” 

A showman, dressed in tights, stood in one of 
the squares of the city of Paris. Near him sat 
a small dog, looking sharply at a crowd of street 
people gathered around in a ring. Again the 
showman walked about, holding his white, pointed 
hat to collect coppers from the crowd. He jingled 
those he had in the hat, and glanced here and 
15 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


there in search of more money. One or two 
pieces were given. 

“ Thank you, sir. Thank you, madam. Now, 
I need but thirty centimes — only six sous more, 
and the show begins ! ” 

A little schoolboy, who had just pushed his 
way into the crowd, dropped two coins into the 
hat. 

“ Thank you, little gentleman ! Now, who will 
pay only twenty centimes more to see the finest 
show now before the people of Paris ? My little 
dog will drill with a rifle — a wooden rifle, so that 
there be no fear of harm to any one. He will 
carry the flag ; he will play the drum. Do not 
keep the people waiting ! Only a few sous more, 
and the show begins ! ” 

Again the hat went round, and this time a 
few more coins made up the required sum. 

“ Now,” exclaimed the showman, “ look alive, 
sir!” 

The dog, who had never moved until he was 
thus spoken to, jumped up to the top of a drum, 
16 


WITH THE FRENCH SHOWMAN 


sat up on his liaunches, as dogs do when they 
beg, and looked straight at the showman. 

“Are you ready?” said his master. 

The dog answered by giving three short 
barks. 

“Very well; then we will begin by putting 
you through your drill. Take your rifle.” 

He handed a little wooden gun to the dog, 
who held it upright between one foreleg and his 
chest. 

“ Order arms ! ” 

The dog allowed the gun to slide downward. 

“ Present arms ! ” 

The gun was raised and held forward between 
the forepaws. And so the drill proceeded, the 
dog cleverly carrying out the orders as soon as 
they were given. Next followed a sort of play 
in which the dog acted out some verses recited 
by the showman, telling how a shepherd, sleep- 
ing with his faithful dog by his side, was awakened 
when wolves attacked the sheep, and how the 
shepherd and the dog attack the wolves and 
17 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


drive them away. The little dog jumped about 
and barked fiercely to show how bravely he had 
fought in his master’s service. 

The crowd applauded and laughed, and some 
of them threw more money into the hat. When 
this act was over, the showman announced that 
the dog would now sing for the people ; so he 
drew from his pocket a small fife and began to 
play the “Marseillaise,” while the little dog 
growled and howled an accompaniment that sent 
the crowd into roars of laughter. 

On the outskirts of the ring of people were two 
black-eyed, dark-complexioned folk — a young 
man and another older. They seemed greatly 
interested by the dog’s cleverness, but they did 
not laugh at his tricks. Instead, while the other 
spectators were laughing, these two men whis- 
pered together in low voices, and speaking a 
strange language. They were Gypsies, belong- 
ing to that old, old race that is found in all 
civilized lands, making its living in all ways, 
18 


WITH THE FRENCH SHOWMAN 


honest and dishonest, and often moving about 
from place to place. 

While the little dog was performing, and the 
jolly crowd of Parisians were joking and ap- 
plauding him, the older Gypsy was saying in his 
own language : 

“ When the man and dog are through, let us 
follow him. That dog is worth much money. 
We can make much if we have a fine dog 
like that. Perhaps the showman would sell 
him.” 

The younger man grinned at this, and replied 
in the same low tone the other had used : 

“ Oh, yes. He might sell him. But, better 
yet, he might lose him, and then if we should 
happen to find him — ! ” 

The older Gypsy nodded his head, and turned 
to watch the dog’s clever performance. Mean- 
while the younger Gypsy went on: 

“ Perhaps, if I should find anything, it would 
be good if I had a large basket, with a piece of 
stout cord to tie up the parcel. There are yet 
19 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


several tricks to come, so you watch while I go 
across the street.’’ 

The young man hurried away, and the older 
man waited impatiently. Just as the dog was 
“playing dead” — which was the last trick on 
the programme, the young Gypsy returned, 
carrying on his arm a large covered basket. 

“You are in time,” said the older man ; and 
in a moment more the dog and his master made 
their bows to the crowd, the man slipped a loose 
suit of clothes over his costume, and picked up 
his drum. As the crowd scattered, the show- 
man walked away, followed at a little distance 
by the two Gypsies. But these men did not 
walk together : one was about forty feet in ad- 
vance of the other. They followed the show- 
man, who walked slowly, since it was now dusk, 
and he did not mean to give another performance 
that afternoon. The dog trudged along after his 
master. He did not trot about briskly, as pet 
dogs do when taken out to walk, but, being 
tired, kept along at the showman’s heels. 


20 


WITH THE FRENCH SHOWMAN 


111 this way they walked for quite a distance 
from the square where the show had been given. 
Then, as the old Gypsy came to a cross-street, he 
suddenly turned into it, and went at a very quick 
pace — sometimes even running — until he had 
come quite around the block, and was in the 
same street again with the showman, the dog 
and the other Gypsy. That is, he went around 
the block and met them. 

He walked straight up to the showman, and, 
catching hold of the drum, that the man was 
carrying on his shoulders, cried out : 

“Aha, you villain, you thief! Ah, I have 
caught you, then, with my drum! It is my 
drum that I lost last week. I have been watch- 
ing for you in all the city. Come, now, give me 
my drum ! ” And he pulled and hauled at the 
poor bewildered showman, while the man so 
suddenly attacked for a moment lost his wits, 
and found not a word to say. 

There were several passers-by, and all at once 
gathered around the two men. 


21 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Meanwhile the other Gypsy had come up, but 
he merely circled about the outside of the 
throng, waiting his chance. 

Whenever the showman tried to speak the 
old Gypsy would begin again his wild outcry 
about “ My stolen drum ! my lost drum ! ” 
Suddenly, one of the French policemen ap- 
peared, pushed his way through the crowd, and 
began to question the Gypsy and the show- 
man about their quarrel. Both talked at once. 
Whenever the showman tried to say a word, the 
old Gypsy took good care to talk louder, and to 
wave his arms about, as if he were very angry. 

Where was the little dog ? He had tried to 
keep close to his master, but the legs of the 
crowd got in his way, and he had been forced 
outward. This was what the younger Gypsy 
was waiting for. He was the only one that 
paid no attention to the two squabbling men, 
and he kept watching the little dog. When 
he could reach him, the young Gypsy quickly 
grabbed him by the throat, wrapped a piece of 


22 


WITH THE FRENCH SHOWMAN 


twine about his jaws, lifted the silent clog, and 
popped him into the basket. 

The policeman had by this time restored 
order, and the showman was allowed to reply to 
the old Gypsy’s accusation. He said the drum 
had been bought at a store not far away. The 
old Gypsy laughed aloud. 

“ You are a bold one ! ” said he. “ You know 
well you never bought it. Why, sir,” he went 
on, turning to the policeman, “ my name is 
written on the inside of the drum with ink. If 
he is honest, let him open the drum, and we 
shall see 4 Pierre Du Bois 9 inside, as plain as 
print. If it is not so, then I will gladly pay him 
five francs for his trouble. I am an honest 
man, and I may be wrong. If wrong, I will 
pay for falsely accusing an honest man, for that 
is only fair. Is it not so, my friends?” And 
he turned to the crowd standing about, who 
greeted his speech with a murmur of approval. 

The poor showman saw that he would have 
to accept these terms, and though he was angry. 

2 3 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


lie put down the drum, and began to loosen the 
cords that held the drumheads. 

At this moment the younger Gypsy turned 
slowly and carelessly and walked away, whistling 
a doleful tune. No one noticed him, and he 
soon turned a corner, and was out of sight of the 
crowd. Then he quickened his pace, and, seeing 
an empty cab passing, he called the driver, got 
in, and was driven to the other end of the city, 
carrying with him the covered basket, and the 
poor muzzled dog. 

24 


CHAPTER II 


THE DOG MEETS A FKIEND 

O F course, the old Gypsy had kept watch 
out of the corner of his eye to see when 
the young man got away, and now he 
began to change his tune and to talk more 
reasonably. 

“ Gentlemen,” said he, “ I fear I may be 
wrong. That drum looked like mine — and yet it 
is may be not quite so old. Still, I will pay if I 
am wrong, and a minute will decide. * Ah, now 
the drum is open.” ^ 

He stooped and raised it, looking carefully on 
the inside, as if searching for the name, “Pierre 
Du Bois.” Then he put it down with a sigh. 

“Alas!” he exclaimed, “ what have I done? 
I have made a mistake ; I have still lost my be- 

2— Gypsy. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 

loved drum, and I owe this honest man five 
francs for the trouble I have given him, and 
the shame I have brought on him. Here is the 
money.” 

The Gypsy drew a coin from his pocket and 
offered it to the showman, who was busy putting 
the heads again on the drum. But suddenly the 
showman, now that he was cleared of suspicion, 
remembered his dog. 

“ Where is my dog ? ” he cried, rising to his 
feet and looking about him. 

No one answered. In fact, at first no one 
remembered the dog. Then the old Gypsy spoke : 

“ Did you have a dog ?” 

“Yes,” said the showman, “I had a little dog. 
Where is he ? Did you see him ?” 

“ I saw a dog with you,” answered the 
Gypsy, “or, rather, near you. But a small 
boy picked him up and ran away. I thought 
the boy owned him.” 

“ What kind of a boy was it ? ” the showman 
demanded, excitedly. 


2 6 


THE DOG MEETS A FRIEND 


“Oh, a little fellow, about so high” — the 
Gypsy held liis hand about three feet from the 
ground. “ He wore a black blouse, and had 
blue eyes. He went up the street, and, I think, 
turned the next corner ; but of that I am not 
sure, for I was thinking of the drum. Which 
reminds me — here are the five francs.” 

“ I do not care for the money,” said the poor 
showman, “but I must find my dog, or else I 
am ruined.” 

The Gypsy threw the coin upon the drum. 

“ Take it,” he said. “ It is little enough for 
the trouble I have caused you — especially now, 
if your dog is gone. I am sorry, but I cannot 
stay longer. Here, I will give you my address, 
in case I can be of use.” 

Drawing a pencil and scrap of paper from 
his pocket, the old man wrote out the name 
Pierre Du Bois, and added a false address. Then 
he walked slowly away. 

The showman looked after him uneasily, but 
what could he do? There seemed np reason 


27 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


to suspect anything wrong. The policeman, too, 
turned away; the crowd went about its busi- 
ness, and the showman at last shouldered his 
drum, and went gloomily along the street won- 
dering whether he should ever see the little dog 
again. 

For fear he might be followed, the old Gypsy 
went that night to a distant quarter of the city, 
and it was not until late the next day that he 
dared go to the young Gypsy’s lodgings. 

He rapped twice, paused, rapped twice, paused, 
and then rapped once. 

“ Come in ! ” cried the young Gypsy, and the 
two thieves were together. 

“Have we got him safe?” was the old man’s 
first question. 

“Yes; but he ’s as ugly as a cross bear,” an- 
swered the young man. 

“ Thrash him,” said the old fellow. 

“I ’ve done better,” answered the other. “I 
have starved him. He ’ll soon be better tem- 
pered.” 


28 


THE DOG MEETS A FRIEND 


u Keep him dark until we sail/’ the old man 
went on. “ It ’s only a few days now, and that 
fool of a showman will be sure to go to the 
police about the pup.” 

“ Trust me,” said the young Gypsy. “ I ’ll 
keep him in the basket till we ’re on the ocean, 
and then, once safely in America, who is to know 
where we picked him up?” 

It was lucky for the evil-doers that they were 
so cautious, for the police of Paris are clever, 
and for several days they searched high and 
low for the poor showman’s dog. If he had 
been taken out of the basket, or had been al- 
lowed to make a single bit of noise, the thieves 
would have been discovered. 

But it was not to be. The little dog re- 
mained in the basket until the Gypsies, with 
others of their band, had embarked on a steam- 
ship from Havre, France, to New York, and he 
was miles from land when first released. 

Once he knew that he was out of reach of aid, 
the little dog was sensible enough to make 
29 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


friends of his Gypsy captors. He even went 
through his tricks when they wished him to, 
and thus secured kinder treatment. He had 
been stubborn at first, through grief at the loss 
of his master, but finding that he was starved or 
whipped for ill-nature, he concluded to make 
the best of his lot. 

On board ship the Gypsies let him roam 
about freely, since they had no fear of his escap- 
ing them. When the dog wished to be by him- 
self, he would often make his way to a traveling 
box-stall that stood on the lower deck. In 
this stall was a beautiful black pony, named 
Galopoff, with a long white mane and tail. Gal- 
opoff was kind to the homesick little dog, and the 
two often talked together. The little dog learned 
that Galopoff was a Russian, who had long before 
gone to America, and w T as now returning from a 
trip to Europe with his master and his master’s 
wife. 

After the dog had told his story, Galopoff ad- 
vised him to be cheerful, to gain the good-will 
30 


THE DOG MEETS A FRIEND 


of the Gypsies, and to seize the first chance that 
offered him a fair opportunity of escaping. 

“ Gypsies are wandering folk/’ said Galopoff, 
and their nomadic life — ” 

“ Their what ? ” asked the dog. 

“ Nomadic,” said Galopoff. “ It is a kind of 
a fancy word. I like fancy words, and I use 
them now and then.” 

“ But what does it mean ? ” 

“ Nomadic means wandering,” Galopoff an- 
swered. 

“Then I suppose I ’m nomadic now?” said 
the dog, “ because I ’m wandering, you know.” 

“ You ’re wandering from the subject,” Galop- 
off said, a little stiffly. “ I ’ll try to use more 
doglike words. But my French is a little rusty, 
and I never could enjoy your growly dog-lan- 
guage. As I was saying — you must be good till 
you run away. When you can run, you must 
run, and must run fast. Run to where I am. 
Be a good dog till you can run.” 

3 1 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ You need n’t talk like a primer,” said tlie 
dog, a little crossly. 

“ Oh, very well,” said Galopoff. “ You will 
perchance discover my residence — it is situated 
in the suburban district of the metropolis — ” 

“ That I don’t understand at all,” said the dog. 

“ I was only joking,” Galopoff said. “ Now 

listen : When you come anywhere near B 

(that is where I live) you run away. There 
is a family living near us that has a girl named 
Helen and a boy named Christopher. They ’ll 
be good to you, and if once you can get into 
their house you are all right. I ’ll let my mas- 
ter know about you — ” 

“ Goodness ! How can you ? ” exclaimed the 
little dog. “ Do you talk to human animals ? ” 

“To be sure, whenever I choose,” Galopoff 
answered, coolly. 

“ But it is against the laws,” said the dog. 

“ I make my own laws,” said Galopoff. “ I use 
my judgment. You find Christopher and Helen, 
and, as for the rest, you may rely on my help.” 

32 


CHAPTER III 

THE HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 

C HRISTMAS morning always seems a little 
different from other mornings. The sun 
rises more slowly, at least until it is just 
over the edge; and then, as you reach up to pull 
out the pin that holds your stocking to the edge 
of the mantel, the sun rises and climbs up the sky 
so as to peep in at the window and see what Santa 
Claus has been using to stuff the stocking out 
until it looks like a battered leg. 

One Christmas a little girl woke up very 
early — so early she could n’t see the face of the 
clock. She tried to go to sleep again, but 
could not. Then she began to talk to herself. 

“ Now,” she said, “ it is either Christmas eve 
or else it is Christmas morning. If it is Christ- 
33 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


mas eve, I ought to go to sleep again so as not 
to bother my mother; but, if it is Christmas 
morning, I want to get up and see what ’s in my 
stocking. I don’t see how I can tell which it is 
unless I can see the clock.” 

So she jumped out of bed and went over to 
the mantel. The hearth was cold to her feet, 
but she stood on tiptoe, and found that the clock- 
hands pointed to half-past three. 

“ There, now!” she said, “I was wrong both 
ways. It is n’t Christmas day, and it is n’t Christ- 
mas eve! So what is it?” 

Then there came into her head the answer in 
verse : 

“ ’T was the night before Christmas.” 

But, while she was thinking over the lines, 
suddenly she noticed that the room was very still, 
and noticed that the clock was not ticking. 

“ The clock is not going !” said she. “ If that 
isn’t the meanest thing I ever knew! Just 
when I don’t know what time it is ! I wish I 


34 


HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 


had a watch. Maybe I ’ll get one this Christ- 
mas.” 

By this time Helen — which was her name 
ever since she was baptized — had crawled into 
bed again, and was crouched close up to the 
headboard. She did not want to be a bother, 
and yet she did so wish to get the stocking that 
was hung in her mother’s room. 

While she was wondering about the watch, she 
suddenly saw that the sky was a rosy hue, and 
then she knew that the sun was coming up ; 
that it was n’t Christmas eve, and that it was 
Christmas day. 

With a flying leap she was out of bed, and 
was looking wildly for the armholes of her 
wrapper or bath-robe. In order to lose no time, 
she tried to find her slippers with her feet. 

“ The more haste, the less speed.” While 
Helen was trying- hard to thrust one arm into 
the pocket of her robe and one toe through the 
heel of her slipper, she heard a bugle-call on a 
toy-bugle, and then she knew that her brother 
35 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Chris — christened Christopher — was already up 
and doing liis best to undo Santa Claus’ work in 
stocking-packing. 

“ Chris always gets ahead of me ! ” said 
Helen, “ either because he ’s a boy or because 
I ’m a little scatterbrain — I ’m not sure which ! ” 

Helen unwound herself from the tangle she 
was in, put on the bath-robe first and the slippers 
next, and then tore away through the hallway 
to her mother’s room. 

She knocked; a voice said: “Come in, old 
Merry Christmas ! ” and Helen was before the 
stockings. 

Christopher was on the floor surrounded by a 
ring of presents — the bugle, a box of soldiers, a 
sword, a gun, a knapsack and a general military 
outfit. This was because Chris was just at the 
age when he loved soldiers better than anything 
else. He was far down toward the toe of his 
stocking, and Helen knew that she would have 
to hurry to catch up with him. 

How the pink ribbons and tissue-paper did 
36 


HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 


fly ! It was like a snowstorm in an apple or- 
chard in springtime. First came tlie very thing 
she wanted most, then came what she wanted 
next, and then her third choice. Below that 
was a box of chocolates, and then something 
nearly as good, and so on until she had come 
quite to the very end, and there she found the 
best possible gift to go in the toe of a Christmas 
stocking. 

What was that ? 

A five-dollar goldpiece. 

“Did you get one, too, Chris? ,, asked Helen. 

Chris made no direct answer in words, but he 
put his goldpiece into his eye like an eyeglass, 
saying : 

“Aw, weally ! — excuse me, aw !” 

After a hurried examination of the presents, 
the two children were hustled out of the room, 
with strict orders to dress and get down to break- 
fast as soon as they could when they really tried ; 
and, considering that it was Christmas, they 
made good time. After breakfast came the 
37 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


presents that Santa Claus had left downstairs 
for fear of waking the family by bumping them 
up the steps. No matter what these were; it is 
enough to say that, after the bundles were all 
unwrapped, the parlor looked as if there had 
been an explosion in a toystore, with a ribbon- 
maker’s next door on one side and a paper- 
makers next door on the other side; and Chris 
and Helen were busy and happy among the 
ruins. 

On Christmas day there comes a time when 
the mother of the family says : 

“ Come, children, surely you ’re not going to 
spend all this beautiful day indoors. A brisk 
walk over the snow in the sunshine will brighten 
you up wonderfully.” 

And then the children say everything they 
can think of to prove that fresh air is not good 
for them ; that they have been walking too 
much for their health ; that they can go better 
any other time ; that nobody ever goes walking 
on Christmas day ; that they don’t want to ; that, 
33 


HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 


of course, they will if mother says so ; that they 
thought she did n’t mean what she said ; that — 
and then they go. 

Christopher and Helen thought they were 
going to be very unhappy over leaving their toys, 
but to their supprise they found they enjoyed 
being away from them for awhile. Besides, they 
were n’t away from all of them, for Christopher 
had his new four-bladed pocket knife and 
Helen had her new gloves with fur around 
the wrists, and they could talk about all the 
others. 

It was a delightful day — just cold enough to 
remind them it was winter, and with enough 
snow on the ground to make it a real “ white 
Christmas.” 

Christopher and Helen lived in the country, 
and yet it was not far from the city, and their 
father went in and out on the train every business 
day. They thought this was the best way to live. 
They had all the pleasures of both city and 
country, and knew how to enjoy each in turn. 


39 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Chris was explaining this to Helen as they 
walked along. 

“ You see, Helen,” said he, “ if we were real 
country children, we might not know just what to 
do with our goldpieces. There are not many ways 
of spending money in the country, you know, 
and so I suppose we ’d have to put our money 
in one of those little iron hanks and leave it 
there till — well, maybe till we were grown-up. 
I would n’t like that. Would you ? ” 

“ No,” Helen answered. “ I ’d rather keep 
mine in my pocket until I go to the city, and 
then I can go into one of the big toy-stores — ” 

“ Have you brought yours with you ? ” Chris 
asked, drawing his from his pocket. 

“ Here it is,” said Helen, “it ’s in this purse ” ; 
and she held up a blue silk purse with two cut- 
steel rings upon it. 

While they were talking, they were walking 
along a road that led up over a hill to the next 
town, a small place with one business street and 
a number of little houses. They had now come 
40 





Gypsy - 2. 

“ THE GYPSY BEGAN TO PICK UP STONES AND THROW THEM AFTER 

THE FLYING ANIMAL/’ 


Sec p. 43, 













































































































HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 


to a place about lialf-way between their own 
home and the town, where there was a grove of 
tall trees. As they reached the top of the hill, 
they saw smoke rising from this grove, and won- 
dered what it could come from. Going a little 
farther, they saw two or three wagons in the 
grove, and around these a number of men, wo- 
men and children. A crackling fire made of dead 
branches was blazing on the ground, and upon 
the ashes around it were some pots and pans. 
The people seemed to be cooking their breakfast. 

“ I believe they are Gypsies,” said Chris, in a 
low voice. 

“ What are Gypsies ? ” asked Helen. 

“ I don’t know much about them,” Chris an- 
swered, “ except that they don’t live in houses, 
but go around in their wagons, and live out- 
doors. I wish I was one.” 

“ I think you ’re silly,” said Helen. “ I ’d 
rather have a comfortable house.” 

“ Anyway, I ’m going to speak to them,” 
Chris said, after a pause. 

3-CyPsy. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ Are n’t you scared ? ” Helen asked. 

“ Scared ? No/’ was Chris’s answer. “ I heard 
father and mother talking about Gypsies the 
other day, and he said he thought there was no 
great harm in them.” 

“ Whether there is any harm in them or 
not,” Helen insisted, “ I don’t think you ought 
to go nearer them without father’s knowing it. 
Let’s go home and tell him about finding the 
camp, and see what he says.” 

Chris was very curious about the Gypsies, and 
would have liked to talk to some of the boys he 
saw near the camp ; but his love for soldiers had 
led him to learn how soldiers act, and he felt 
sure that he ought not to take any risks so long 
as Helen was with him. His father had often 
said that it was Christopher’s duty to look after 
his sister’s safety always, and never to give Helen 
any needless alarm. So now, remembering all 
he had been taught, Christopher gave the order : 
“ Eight about face ! Forward, march ! ” 


42 


HOME OF HELEN AND CHRISTOPHER 

Helen turned at once, and the brother and 
sister started for home. 

They had not gone far when they heard a 
sudden shout behind them and a scampering 
of feet. They looked back, and saw one of 
the Gypsies chasing a little dog. The man 
was coming toward them, and running as fast 
as he could go. But, fast as he ran, the lit- 
tle dog ran faster; and long before the man 
reached the two children the dog had passed 
them and was far ahead. 

The Gypsy, seeing he could not catch the dog, 
began to pick up stones, and throw them after 
the flying animal. But all the stones went wild, 
and the dog, turning suddenly, darted into the 
woods and disappeared from view. The Gypsy, 
muttering to himself, turned back and walked 
along the road toward the camp until the hill 
hid him from view. 

The children made their way home, seeing 
neither the dog nor the Gypsy again ; and, until 
they told their father about seeing the Gypsy 
43 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


encampment, Chris and Helen thought no more 
about the runaway and the pursuer that night, 
being completely occupied with their Christmas 
presents. 

And that was the first time that Chris and 
Helen saw the little Gypsy dog. 

44 


CHAPTER IV 

THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 

B ACK of the house where Chris and Helen 
lived was a clear space, in which there 
stood a long pole planted in the earth. 
From the top of this pole a rubber ball in a net 
hung at the end of a long string. On the day 
after Christmas the back door of the house 
opened and Helen appeared, carrying a racket 
in her hand ; closely following her came her 
brother, also armed with a racket. 

The children took their places, one at each 
side of the pole, and then began a game of tetlier- 
ball. 

It is exciting, and, like most good games, a 
little trying to the temper. Each player at- 
tempts to wind the ball close up to the pole by 
45 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


hitting it with the racket, and when it begins to 
wind up the way the other player wants to have 
it, you are very good-natured if you do not feel 
like whacking something else than the ball that 
goes whirling high above your head. 

Chris won the first game, Helen won the 
second, and the third was a struggle. Whang, 
bang went the rackets, and the ball flew wildly 
around, first one way and then the other. 

Just as it was almost wound up the way 
Helen was driving it the string broke, and the 
ball flew off and fell among some thick bushes. 

The children started to search for it, when 
suddenly out from the bushes came the very same 
little dog they had seen chased by the Gypsy on 
Christmas day, and in the dog’s mouth was the 
ball for which they were searching. At the other 
end of the dog, so to speak, there was a sort of 
blur, by which the children saw that a stumpy 
tail was being wagged at a high rate of speed. 

The little dog came trotting up to them and 
dropped the ball at their feet, but the tail kept 
46 


THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 


on wagging without a moment’s rest. Dogs wag 
their tails in a dozen ways. There is a sort of 
wag that says: “Oh, I wish you ’d pay some 
attention to me. Kick me, if you like, but do 
pay attention to me. I ’ll do anything if you ’ll 
only speak to me ! ” Dogs that wag their tails 
in that way usually roll over with crazy delight 
at a word. 

The little Gypsy dog was not that sort. His 
tail- wagging seemed to say : “ How do you do ? 
I’m a mighty pleasant kind of a dog when I am 
treated right, and I rather like your looks. Sup- 
pose we make friends ? ” 

So plainly was this the message of the tail- 
signaling that Chris said : 

“ Come here, old fellow. You ’re a fine dog, 
and it was nice of you to bring back the ball ; ” 
and then he held out his hand toward the dog, 
and kept it still until he was sure patting would 
be agreeable to his new friend. 

Helen, too, went down on her knees, and 
gently put one hand on the little dog’s neck. In 
47 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


tlie delight of this meeting the game of tether- 
ball was forgotten and never finished. 

While the children were making friends with 
the dog, suddenly the Gypsy, who had been 
chasing him the day before, rushed forward from 
around the corner of the house and seized the 
dog by one of the hind legs, at the same time 
striking him with a switch or light cane he 
carried. 

“ You little wretch ! Howie been baishen , 
Jucal? Ruffie lee ma — I will feck a bar and 
mar you, Jucal ! ” cried the Gypsy. 

At first the children were so surprised by the 
sudden appearance of the man that they could 
only watch him with open eyes. But as soon as 
he struck the dog Helen crouched close to the 
dog to protect him, and cried boldly : 

“Here, stop that, this instant! You sha’n’t 
beat the little dog ! ” 

The Gypsy looked angrily at her, and then 
said, quickly: 

“ Chee, chee! Hush, little Raunie, the Jucal 
48 


THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 


is mine. Jaw vree . Go away and mind your 
business. The dog is my own, and I ’ll beat 
him if I please. Take away your hands, or 
perhaps you ’ll get a taste of the stick, too ! ” 

The Gypsy had kept hold of the dog’s leg, 
and now raised his switch again as if to carry 
out his threat. But, as soon as he made this 
motion, Chris, who had said nothing, raised his 
racket and brought it down so hard on the 
man’s arm that he dropped his switch and began 
to hop about with pain and rage. Then he 
turned angrily to the boy. But Chris never 
budged. He eyed the man coolly and kept his 
racket ready. 

“The dog may be yours,” said Chris, “but 
my sister is mine. And I don’t allow any one 
to raise a hand to her.” 

Seeing the boy’s boldness, the Gypsy became 
more respectful. He glanced uneasily at the 
windows of the house, for he could not believe 
the boy would be so brave unless some grown 
person was near. 


49 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Chris’s father had gone to the city, and his 
mother had gone with her husband. The ser- 
vants were all women, and Chris had no reason 
to think there was any aid near ; but he stood 
his ground without flinching, and the Gypsy 
spoke more politely. 

“ Little riah” said he, “I don’t blame you for 
standing by your sister. I was wrong to raise 
a hand to her. But I came for my dog” — at 
this moment the Gypsy paused and looked about 
him. The dog, as soon as the Gypsy had let 
him go, must have run away, for he was nowhere 
to be seen. 

“ It is no use talking now,” said the Gypsy 
with a grin. “ You can’t give what you have n’t 
got. But I know the dog well. He will be 
about here, and so I ’ll be back again for him. 
If he comes, shut him into the cellar and keep 
him till the morning. Your father will be home 
then, and I ’ll see whether he will not tell you 
to give me my own. I ’m no jucal-femler, and, 
if you wish to keep the dog, you can pay me 

50 


THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 

my price. Now, I will jaw drom. So, baurie- 
dews .” 

Thereupon the Gypsy touched his slouch hat, 
picked up his stick and sauntered off. 

“ Were n’t you afraid of him ? ” said Helen, 
when the man was out of sight. 

“ No,” Chris answered. “ Besides, what could 
I do? I could n’t leave you, could I? I wonder 
where the little dog is ? ” 

Chris began to whistle very softly, and then, 
as there was no answer, more loudly. Helen, 
too, began to say : “ Here, doggie ! Here, doggie ! ” 
and both children walked about among the 
bushes trying to find him. 

They kept this up for a while, but at last be- 
came tired of searching. They had lost interest 
in their game of tether-ball and decided to go 
indoors. Then, as they reached the back door 
and turned the knob, there came a rustle in the 
bushes, a quick rush, and the little dog was danc- 
ing about them with head and tail trying to shake 
out good-will. 


5i 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“Open the door, quick, Chris !” cried Helen, 
“ and we ’ll take him in.” 

So soon as there was a crack wide enough to 
admit his body the dog wriggled in and the 
children followed. The door was shut and 
bolted, and the children at last felt safe. 

Apparently their little guest also felt safe, for 
he at once quieted down and trotted along by 
the children, sniffing here and there, as all good 
dogs do upon visiting a new place. Once or 
twice he sniffed loudly, almost as if he were 
sneezing — which is a way dogs have. It is as if 
they did n’t like the scent and wished to be rid 
of it. 

The children would have been glad to play 
with their new companion, but they soon saw 
that he was too tired for sport. He seemed 
willing to oblige, but was drowsy; and, seeing a 
low and cosy armchair in a corner of the sitting- 
room, he turned his head on one side as if to ask 
permission, and then hopped into the chair, 
turned around three times to wind himself up, 
52 


THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 


and went to sleep before lie had more than settled 
himself in a comfortable coil. 

Chris and Helen sat down on the hearth-rug, 
and began to discuss wliat their father would say 
about the Gypsy’s right to his dog. 

‘‘Of course, a man has a right to his own 
property,” said Christopher, “ and if he says he 
must have the dog, why, I suppose, we must 
give it up.” 

Just then the little sleeper in the chair stirred 
uneasily and softly whimpered in his dreams. 

“ Hear him,” exclaimed Helen. “ It may be 
as you say, Chris. But I know one thing, and 
that is, the man has no right to whip the dog 
when he ’s good.” 

“ But, perhaps, he ’s not a good dog,” Chris 
suggested. 

“ Oh, he *s a good dog,” Helen answered. “I 
know he is.” 

“ How do you know ? ” 

“ Why, because of the way he wagged his tail 
53 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


when he asked to come in with us, and because 
of his being so polite about the chair.” 

“ When was he polite ? ” Chris asked. 

“ Did n’t you see him ? Why, he would n’t 
even get into the chair till he had said, ‘ May I ? ’ 
I tell you, he ’s a well-bred dog, and he does n’t 
belong to the Gypsy.” 

“That ’s just like you,” said Chris, smiling at 
her. “ You go to making up a lot of things 
about the dog, and then thinking them all true. 
We don’t know a thing about him.” 

“Yes, we do,” Helen insisted. “I can tell 
whether I like a dog in the same way I can tell 
whether I like a person. And this little fellow 
is a fine dog. So I say let ’s keep him if we 
can.” 

The dog slept most of the afternoon, and did 
not really become wideawake until dinner-time, 
after the father and mother had come from the 
city. 

Chris and Helen were so eager to tell all about 
the Gypsy’s visit and the coming of their new 
54 


THE GYPSY DOG FINDS A NEW HOME 


pet, that they had to be suppressed, and sent to 
make ready for dinner. Then during the din- 
ner they had no chance to talk, because table 
chatterboxes were not in favor in that house. 

But when the after-dinner coffee was served, 
their father turned to them and said: 

“ Now, Helen and Chris, you have the floor, 
provided you do not both talk at once. Suppose 
you begin, little girl, and tell me about your 
first sight of the new dog ; afterward Chris can 
give the facts concerning Mr. Gypsy's visit 
and other important matters down to the present 
time. Meanwhile, I will see that our small 
guest does n't suffer from hunger." . 

The little dog had remained quietly upon a rug 
before the fire, never once begging even to be 
noticed ; and now when food was put before him 
he helped himself without either greediness or 
fussing. 

Then Chris and Helen told their stories, their 
father and mother listening attentively, and now 
55 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


and then asking a question. When the stories 
were finished, the father said : 

“I think I should have done precisely what 
you have done — that is, if I wanted the dog. Of 
course, the dog may belong to the Gypsy, but 
then, again, he may not. If the Gypsy does n’t 
own the dog, why, it may be that you can keep 
him. I doubt whether the fellow ever comes 
back.” 

“ I hope the Gypsy will not come,” said their 
mother. “ The children have been wild to have 
a pet ever since they have learned to known 
Galopoff, the pony. If they can’t have a pony, 
I ’d be glad to have them own a nice dog. I 
hope the Gypsy does n’t come after him.” 

Just then the door-bell rang. 

56 


CHAPTER V 
THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 

H EARING the bell, the party at the din- 
ner-table became silent. They could 
not help listening, for all believed that 
the Gypsy had come. After a moment the maid 
entered, and told Chris’s father that there was a 
man in the hall who wished to see “ the gentle- 
man of the house.” 

“ Do you know him ? ” the father asked. 

“ No, sir,” the maid replied ; “ but, if you ’ll 
excuse me, sir, I think it ’s the Gypsy gentleman 
I heard the children talking about. He looks 
like that. He is sort of a dark, and — •” 

“ Very well. Show him into the reception- 
room, and ask him to be kind enough to wait a 

4— Gypsy. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


moment. As soon as I finish my cup of coffee 
I will see him.” 

The maid left the room, and Helen said : 

“ Oh, father, have we got to give up the 
dog?” 

“ I can’t tell yet,” her father replied. “ I 
must hear the mail’s story, and then I will de- 
cide what we ought to do. You wish to do what 
is right, of course ? ” 

“ Yes, father,” said Helen, slowly, “ I suppose 
I do, but it is ever so much nicer when it ’s 
right to do what you want to do. I never had 
just the kind of dog I like best, and this one is 
such a bright little fellow.” 

“ I believe the Gypsy stole him,” said Chris, 
boldly. 

“ You should n’t say that,” remarked his 
mother. “ It is n’t fair to the man.” 

“ Well, I will see what the ‘ Gypsy gentleman ’ 
has to say for himseli,” the father said, and left 
the room. 

There was little talk in the dining-room after 
58 


THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 


tlie father had gone. Both Helen and Chris 
sat quite still gazing at the sleeping dog, and 
wishing they could hear what was being said in 
the reception-room. Gradually they began to 
hear the sound of one voice that became louder 
and louder. It was not their father’s voice, so 
they knew that the Gypsy was arguing for his 
rights. At length their father returned, and, 
speaking quietly, as he always did, addressed 
the children : 

“ I wish,” he said, “ that you would come 
with me. I would like you to hear what the 
Gypsy says about you.” 

Chris and Helen were only too glad to go, 
and both jumped down from their chairs and 
followed their father. They found the Gypsy 
seated in a large arm-chair with his legs 
sprawled far out on the rug. As soon as he 
saw the children enter he rose to his feet, 
and scowled crossly at them. 

“ Now, you shall see — ” he began, but the 
children's father interrupted him. 

59 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Excuse me,” he said, “ but I will, if you 
please, let the children know what you have 
said. You can correct me if I do not state it as 
you told it to me.” Then, turning to Christopher, 
the father went on : “ He blames you for hav- 

ing taken the dog from him. He says that on 
Christmas day you and Helen came walking 
toward their camp in the edge of the woods ; 
that you called the dog ; that the dog ran to you ; 
that he followed, and the dog then ran to our 
house. Then, he says, he came next day while 
you were playing some game with rackets, and 
demanded his dog. You then said he could not 
have his dog, and, when he tried to take it, 
you, Christopher, struck him. Now, is that 
true ? ” 

“ It is the truth, every word,” said the 
Gypsy, frowning at Christopher, and shaking 
his finger. 

“ I asked my son,” said the father, “ and you 
must let him answer.” 

“ But the boy will deny it — ” said the Gypsy. 

60 


THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 


Christopher’s father turned on him so fiercely 
that the Gypsy backed away. 

“ Be silent, or you will leave my house at 
once,” said the father. “ Now, Christopher, you 
may answer.” 

“ Part of it is true, part of it is not,” said 
Christopher. “ We did go walking near their 
camp, but we did n’t call the dog. The dog ran 
away, and this man chased him, and threw stones 
at him. Then it is true that the dog came to 
our house, but it was all by himself. When 
this man came after the dog, he caught him by 
the leg and began to whip him, Helen told 
him not to, and then he raised a switch to hit 
her—” 

“ I would not do such a thing ! ” exclaimed 
the Gypsy. 

But Chris, without taking his eyes from his 
father’s face, went right on — “ and so I hit him 
with my racket. That is the truth.” 

“ Very well,” said his father. “ Now, how 
about the dog ? ” 

61 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“We did take liim into the house,” Chris 
said, “ because he ran away from this man and 
did not come out of the bushes till he had 
gone. I don’t know whether that was right, 
but I thought it was. And I ’d like to keep 
him if we may.” 

“ But the dog is mine,” said the Gypsy. 

“ I am not yours.” 

There was a new voice in the room. All 
turned, and there, on top of a small table, 
was the little dog, sitting up, as he had been 
taught to do in Paris by his master. 

For a moment all gazed in silence. Then 
there came the sound of the dog’s voice again. 

“I am not yours,” he repeated. “ You stole 
me from my master and brought me to America.” 

“ But,” said Christophers father, in rather a 
scared voice, “ I did not know dogs can speak.” 

“ Lots can’t,” replied the little dog. “But my 
master taught me. I was the only friend he 
had. I speak French best, but English a little. 
I have heard English while with this thief; 

62 


THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 


for he is a thi'ef. He stole me in Paris and 
brought me here. I must talk to tell you.” 

The Gypsy seemed struck dumb. He gazed 
hopelessly about, and then suddenly darted 
through the door, out into the hallway, and in 
a minute more they all heard the front door 
bang. The man had run away. 

As soon as the door shut, the little dog 
jumped to the floor and trotted back into the 
dining-room. The father, son and daughter 
looked at one another speechless with amazement. 
At last Helen spoke : 

“ Was n’t that clever of him ? ” 

“ But,” her father replied, “ I am simply 
amazed! He certainly talked. I heard him.” 

“So did I,” said Christopher, nodding his 
head. 

“ Of course, he did,” said Helen, too ; “ but 
I ’m glad of it. I always wanted a pet that 
could talk, and now we ’ve got one. Oh ! I 
am delighted ! ” and she began to jump up and 
down. 


63 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ But think of the wonder of it,” said her 
father. 

“ Parrots talk,” said Helen, “and so do ravens, 
and some other birds ; and I ’m sure a dog knows 
more than a bird.” 

“ It is the most remarkable thing I ever — ” 
said her father, and then he stopj^ed. 

“ Let us go in and see him,” said Christopher. 

So they all returned to the dining-room, 
where they found the dog curled up in the chair 
where they had left him, and seeming to be fast 
asleep. 

“ How strangely you all look ! ” said the 
mother as they entered. “ What has hap- 
pened ? ” 

“It is no wonder,” her husband replied. 
“ We were arguing with the Gypsy when sud- 
denly the little dog came in and began to talk .” 

“ You must be dreaming,” she said. “ It is 
impossible.” 

“We all heard him,” said Helen. 

“ It is absurd,” her mother insisted. “ You 
64 


THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 


are excited, and you took his growling for 
words.” 

“ We all understood him,” Christopher insisted. 

“ Perhaps the Gypsy pretended to make him 
talk,” said his mother. “They are tricky 
people.” 

“ That might be,” the father agreed. 

“ But the dog called him a thief, and said 
that he stole him,” said Helen, “ and the Gypsy 
man ran away.” 

“ Still, he may have been frightened when 
Christopher contradicted him,” said her father, 
“and he may have taken that way to escape. I 
will believe almost anything rather than that 
the dog talked, even though I thought I heard 
him” 

“ But parrots talk,” Helen said once more. 

“ So they do. Suppose you go to bed,” said 
her father. “At all events, you have the dog, 
whether he can talk or not, and that is the main 
thing. I think I will go over to the Gypsy- 
camp to-morrow. Possibly I can make it all 
65 


tv 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 

right with the man. He seemed to be frightened 
about something, and perhaps if I give him 
some money to let us keep the dog that will make 
all satisfactory.” 

“Yes, please, do, father/’ said Christopher. 
“For even supposing the dog did talk — and I 
think he did, really — he may not have told the 
truth, and I ’d like to feel that we had some 
right to him.” 

“ I ’ve a good idea,” exclaimed Helen. “ You 
and I will give father our Christmas gold- 
pieces, and then we shall feel that the dog is our 
very own — that is, if the Gypsy is willing.” 

Their father did not wish to take their money, 
but they were so eager, and so much displeased 
when he refused, that before they went to bed 
they had persuaded him to take their Christmas 
money to pay for the little dog. 

The next day their father went to the camp 
and met the Gypsy. At first the Gypsy said he 
did not care anything more for the dog, and 
even refused to talk about him ; but when he 
66 


THE GYPSY’S FLIGHT 


saw that it was the father’s wish to pay some- 
thing for the little fellow, he gladly took the 
money, saying : “ Let it be for good-luck, then.” 

Later in the day the camp was broken up, 
the Gypsies packed their belongings into wagons, 
and a long procession wound over the hill and 
far away. 

So the little dog succeeded in finding Chris- 
topher and Helen, as Galopoff had advised. 
But although the children talked often to him, 
he would only bark or wag his tail, and seemed 
to forget that he had spoken. 

“ What shall we name him?” asked Helen, a 
few days after the Gypsy’s visit. 

“ The Gypsy called him some queer thing 
like * Jackal,’ ” said Christopher, “ but I don’t 
think that is a good name.” 

“I ’ll tell you what,” Helen exclaimed, “we 
have been calling him ‘the. Gypsy’s dog,’ and 
we are used to that. Suppose we just name him 
‘Gypsy.’ There is a good, short name for that — 
m 67 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Gyp. Besides, it will remind us that he came 
from the Gypsy camp. 

“ But, if he is stolen, that is n’t his right 
name,” Christopher objected. 

“If he did talk — ” Helen began, but Chris 
interrupted. 

“ You know he did. Father and mother may 
doubt it, but they ’re not used to make-believe, 
and so things surprise them.” 

“ Well,” Helen went on, “ we ’ll wait till he 
tells us his true name, and meanwhile we will 
call him Gypsy.” 

68 


CHAPTER VI 
A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 

C HRIS and Helen were for several days 
eager that the dog, whom they now 
always called Gypsy, should talk with 
them, or, at least, make a remark, so that they 
might be sure he had talked. But though he 
looked very wise and seemed to understand 
what was said to him, he would do nothing more 
than other dogs do — bark, growl, sniff, and now 
and then whine. 

The truth is, that Gypsy was thinking. He 
was wondering whether he had done right in 
speaking. He had done so because he was 
afraid he would be sent away to the Gypsies’ 
camp again, and he had not been treated well 
while there. They had tried to make him per- 
69 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


form tricks, so tliat they might earn money by 
exhibiting him, but he had never done any 
more than he had to do. 

Still, he wondered whether it would not 
have been better to have waited. Possibly he 
might not have been sent away, and he had 
never talked before to any human being except 
his old master. While he was thinking this 
over, he suddenly remembered that in their talk 
on the steamship Galopoff had advised him, or 
at least encouraged him, to speak. So now 
he made up his mind to have a talk with the 
pony. 

How should he find out where the pony lived? 

Of course, Chris or Helen would have told 
him if he had asked ; but Gypsy did not like to 
ask. He puzzled over the question for a long 
time, while he lay dozing in a nice woolly rug 
that had been put near the open fire for his use, 
and at last he thought of a plan that might work. 
He had kept pretty closely to the house, but he 
was not confined in any way, and so, after Chris 
70 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


and Helen had gone to school in the morning, 
he had freedom to go wherever he chose. 

He began by studying over the roads near 
the house until he had a good idea where they 
went. Then he ran out for a mile or two upon 
one of them, and began to trot about in a great 
circle, keeping the house in view. In this way 
he went all around until he came to the place 
where he had started — the very road along 
which he had run away from the Gypsy camp. 

The next day he made a wider circle ; and the 
day after one still wider. 

He hoped in time to find some road over 
which the pony had gone. He thought he 
should be able to come upon some of GalopofFs 
tracks, and, with the wonderful power of scent 
that dogs have, he would then be able to keep 
to the track until he could follow Galopoff home. 

The plan succeeded. One day, it was the 
fifth after he began his search, he suddenly 
recognized the scent that he remembered meant 
the little pony. Gypsy was so delighted that he 
I 1 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


jumped into the air and squealed with joy, and 
then with nose close to the ground he began to 
track the pony’s course. Away he went, trot- 
ting as fast as he could follow the tracks, and 
so busy that he forgot everything else. 

Suddenly he heard something coming up be- 
hind him, and, before he could turn, a voice 
cried out: 

“ Look out there, puppy ! ” 

Gypsy jumped aside, looked up, and there 
close behind him was a pony carriage, with 
Galopoff between the shafts ! The voice that 
had called to him was that of the lady who was 
driving. Gypsy was so excited that lie ran 
along beside the carriage, barking as loud as he 
could. 

Apparently, Galopoff did not recognize his 
little friend, for he trotted briskly along with- 
out paying any attention. The lady in the car- 
riage — she was alone — seemed amused by the 
dog’s playfulness, for she spoke to him kindly, 
and cliirrujied to him. But he had no eyes for 
72 



Gytsy— 3. 

k 4 


don't you know me, 


GALOPOFK ? ’ 


ASKED GYPSY.” 


See p. 75 





I 









































































' 

















































A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


her, as he was trying to get near enough to the 
pony’s head to exchange a word or two with him. 
Two or three times the dog came almost to the 
pony’s nose, but just as Gypsy began to think 
he could begin the conversation the pony 
would go a little faster, and then Gypsy’s legs 
would have to fly to keep up. Faster and faster 
they went, until the lady said : 

“ Whoa, there, Galopoff ! Where are you 
going? Surely you ’re not frightened by that 
foolish little puppy ! ” 

But Galopoff only turned his head slyly, closed 
one eye, and then went on faster than ever. At 
length Gypsy began to tire. He had never 
been used to running very fast, and, besides, he 
had been a long way that morning and was tired 
when the race began. So Gypsy decided that 
he could n’t catch Galopoff, and would have to 
let the pony go on. He slowed down, meaning 
to follow the carriage at a distance. To his sur- 
prise, no sooner did he change from a run to a 
trot than the pony also slackened his pace, and 

5~ Gypsy. • 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


the slower Gypsy went the slower also went 
Galopoff. 

Then he knew that the pony had been play- 
ing with him, and so he gave himself no trouble 
to do more than just keep along back of the 
carriage. They went on for a mile or so at a 
gentle jog-trot, and then Galopoff turned into 
a stone gateway, stopped before a pretty house, 
and the lady got out, leaving the pony to take 
the carriage to the stable by himself. The lady 
kindly patted Gypsy as she left the carriage, 
and then she went indoors. 

Gypsy followed Galopoff to the stable, and, 
seeing that the pony would not talk until he 
chose, the little dog sat quietly by until the un- 
harnessing was over and Galopoff was in his 
stable — the beautiful stable that had been put 
up for him especially. 

The little dog had sat by so quietly that the 
stableman — who was really not much more than 
a boy, being a nephew of Patrick, Galopoff 's old 
friend — made no objection when Gypsy followed 
*74 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


Galopoff into the stall. The boy’s name was 
Terence. He had been instructed to let Galopoff 
have his own way, and he saw that the pony 
did not object to the dog ; so Terence went 
about his business, and Gypsy and Galopoff were 
left together. 

“ Don’t you know me, Galopoff?” asked 
Gypsy. 

“ Yes,” said the pony ; “ but it is a dog’s age 
since I saw you on the steamer.” 

“ Not quite,” said Gypsy ; “ but it is a good 
many months. Well, I ’m here.” 

“So I see,” answered the pony, “and you 
made very good time getting here. I really had 
to trot quite fast to keep ahead of you.” 

“But why did you? I wanted to speak to 
you and to tell you how I came. Why did you 
run away from me ? Did n’t you know me ? ” 

“ Certainly, I knew you well enough,” Gal- 
opoff replied ; “ but I thought we ’d better wait 
until we were by ourselves. Now, I shall be 
glad to hear about your adventures since I saw 
75 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


you with the Gypsy men. I suppose you took 
my advice and ran away ? ” 

Gypsy told Galopoff about his life with the 
Gypsies; about his escape, and finally about the 
scene where the Gypsy had come to claim him. 

“ And now, Galopoff,” he said, “ I ’m worried 
because I had to speak out before all three — 
yes, all four of them. I was afraid, you see, 
that they might give me back to the Gypsies. 
But now they all know that I can talk, and 
I ’m afraid they will want me to talk all the 
time.” 

“ As a rule,” Galopoff said, “ it is wisest for 
us talking-animals to speak only to children. 
But I don’t see what else you could do. If 
I were you, I would n’t trouble myself about it 
any more. You know that they can’t make us 
talk.” 

“I know,” Gypsy answered, “but I am afraid 
now that they won’t let me go.” 

“ Go where ? ” 

“Go back to my old master.” 

76 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


“ Why should you wish to go ? ” asked Gal- 
opoff, pulling a wisp of straw from his feed-box 
and chewing it slowly, as he looked kindly down 
at the serious-faced little dog. 

“Did I ever tell you about my French 
master ? ” Gypsy asked, and then went on : “I 
know I did n’t. You see, he and I were not 
like most. I was really all he had in the world. 
He was poor and miserable when I first met him. 
He brought me from my country home when I 
was a tiny puppy ; why, I had hardly got used 
to having my eyes open, and I think he bought 
me only because he was lonely. At that time he 
was a clown in a small circus — not the kind 
that travels about, but the kind that — ” 

“ Does n’t,” said Galopoff. “I know: I was a 
circus pony once, before I made my fortune and 
retired.” 

“ Before that he had been a soldier, and had 
fought somewhere in those .foreign countries none 
of us knows anything about — ” 

“Speak for yourself,” said Galopoff, inter- 
77 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


rupting. “ You mean Tonkin. It is a country 
with which I am not unfamiliar, but one of 
which you, of course, know little. It is not your 
fault — but go on.” 

“ Yes, I think that was the name of it. He 
was wounded there, so he could n’t do the tricks 
he used to do, and he then became a clown. 
Clowns lead very sad lives at home.” 

“ How absurd ! ” Galopoff exclaimed. “ Clowns 
are just like other people. See here, my friend 
— by the way, what is your name now?” 

“ The children named me Gypsy,” the dog 
replied, “ and I think I like the name very well. 
Don’t you ? ” 

“It is a charming name,” Galopoff replied. 
“ I think that most names that begin with G 
are charming. But never mind, I was going to 
advise you not to make so many remarks about 
things. Go right on with your story. I know 
most of the things you put in to fill up, and you 
have n’t much time. I shall have to send you 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


home pretty soon, as I have a thinking-engage- 
ment with myself this afternoon.” 

“ Yes, sir,” answered Gypsy, “ I will try to 
tell a straight story. Well, as I said, my master 
had no friends, and he lived alone in a little 
attic. He went out into the country, one day 
that the circus was closed, and, seeing me play- 
ing before a cottage, lie burst out laughing be- 
cause I was so — ” 

“Awkward ? ” asked GalopofF, slyly. 

“No, graceful,” Gypsy replied, gravely. “So 
lie went in and bought me from the peasant 
woman and took me home. As soon as I was 
old enough he began to teach me tricks. The 
first thing he taught me was to sit up, and then 
he taught me to — ” 

“ Sit down,” GalopofF suggested. 

“ No, sir, to roll over,” Gypsy answered, “and 
so it went on until I had completed the first part 
of my education. I must have learned rapidly, 
because, although my master could teach me for 
only an hour or so a day, yet about the time 
79 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


I was about a year old I was ready to be ex- 
hibited. 

“ Then he took me into the circus and gave 
me an act. To those unfamiliar with circus- 
life— 3 ” 

“ Stop right there,” said Galopoff. “ That is 
the kind of remark I want you to leave out. I 
graduated from the circus before you were lit- 
tered.” 

“ I forgot,” Gypsy said, and resumed his story: 
“ Soon my master found that the people were 
delighted with my part of the show, and he 
thought he could make more money by showing 
me in the street. He bought a big drum, so 
that I could stand on it and do my tricks, and 
we started in business for ourselves.” 

“Was the venture profitable?” Galopoff in- 
quired. 

“ Sir? ” Gypsy asked. 

“ Did it pay ? ” 

“ Oh, yes, sir. Those were our happy days. 
How little we think that those happy times — ” 
80 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


“Whoa, there!” Galopoff exclaimed. 

“ Yes, sir ; I forgot,” said Gypsy. “ We 
had a good time then, and my master began to 
teach me to talk. I knew only dog-language, 
pig-language, hen-talk and pigeon-lingo, with 
just a few words of country French when he be- 
gan ; but I soon learned to talk easily with him. 
My master was amazed when he found I really 
talked long sentences, but no one would believe 
what he said about it, and I would n’t talk when 
anyone else was there.” 

“ I think,” said Galopoff, interrupting him, 
“that I shall have to bring this very pleasant 
interview to an early close. I have found your 
story a very delightful one, and now I suggest 
that you tell me in a few words what is troubling 
you at present. You have a good home, plenty 
to eat, no poor master to bother about, and you 
can simply settle down as a petted lap-dog, and 
grow old and fat at your leisure.” 

At this remark Gypsy rose from the stable 
floor, and began to trot toward the door. 

81 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Galopoff trotted after him, stopped him at the 
door and inquired : 

“ AVliere did you think you were going ? ” 

Gypsy stopped, as indeed he had to, for 
Galopoff stood directly in front of him. 

“ I was going home,” Gypsy said. “ I did 
not like what you said about being a petted lap- 
dog. I am a respectable dog. I have always 
worked for my living, and whatever petting I have 
had I have earned. Besides, I care something 
about my master. He has always shared fairly 
w r ith me, and I can’t bear to think that he is in 
want while I have more than I need. 

“ You come right back here,” Galopoff an- 
swered. “ I said that only to see whether you 
were in earnest. You ’re a little trump — that ’s 
what you are. I divide dogs into two classes : 
trumps and tramps — those that do some giving 
as well as getting, and those that take all they 
get, and growl because there is n’t more of it.” 

The two animals walked back to where they 
had been talking. 


82 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


“Now,” said Galopoff, “you may consider me 
your friend. Galopoff is your friend. That 
means a great deal, you will find. I think you are 
quite right to do something for your old master. 
I did the same toward mine, and now we are 
both prosperous. I advise you now to go 
straight home, and, as soon as a good opportunity 
presents itself, you have a talk with your master 
— the children’s father, I mean. Tell him 
briefly about your life and your wishes. There 
are some human beings that animals can trust. 
I have trusted my friends, and all has gone well 
with me. Did you ever read my life ? ” 

“No,” said Gypsy; “I can’t read very fast in 
English, and not much better in French.” 

“You should read it,” said Galopoff. “It is 
published, with illustrations. I ’ll send you a 
copy of it some day when you have time to read 
it carefully. Of course, it does n’t do me justice, 
but it gives some idea of my career. I think I 
shall write an autobiography some day.” 

“ Something about a horseless — ” 

83 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“G-r-r-rli ! ” said Galopoff. “ Don’t mention 
the senseless things ! What would you think 
of an iron dog that wagged its tail by clockwork 
and barked by stem ? ” 

“ I do not like the idea/’ said Gypsy, with a 
sniff of disdain. “ It seems very undoggy.” 

“ That will show you why I hate autos,” Gal- 
opoff said. “ But to return. You must tell 
your new master that you would like to go in 
search of your old one. Let him help you. 
Remember not to frighten him at first by talking 
too much. Say a word or two, and then let him 
get used to the idea that you can talk.” 

“Good-bye, Galopoff,” said Gypsy. “You 
have been very kind, and I appreciate it.” 

“ I ’m not kind ; it ’s my disposition,” the 
pony replied. “ People are good to me, and so 
I am good to others. Come and see me again, 
after your talk, and we ’ll decide what to do 
next. I like your pluck in running away from 
the Gypsies, and you may count on me to do all I 
can to help you.” 


84 


A CONFIDENTIAL TALK 


The sun was far down, and the roads were 
shadowy when Gypsy took his way back to his 
home. 

“ Not a bad little puppy,” remarked Galopoff 
to himself* “ but he needs guidance.” 

85 







CHAPTER VII 


IN THE GYPSY CAMP 

O NE day while the old Gypsy and the 
young one — the very same two that 
stole the dog from the poor French ac- 
robat — were playing cards near a fire before 
their tent in the woods, the younger man drew 
some coins from his pocket. Nearly all of 
them were silver, but among them were two 
goldpieces — the very pieces that Chris and 
Helen had found in their stockings that Christ- 
mas morning, and later had paid as the price 
for keeping the dog. 

The old Gypsy, whose name was Alexander, 
had quick eyes, and, before the young man — 
his name was Joe — could slip the money back 
into his pocket, Alexander cried out : 

87 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“Olio, olie! I see yellow ! Have you found 
a gold mine? And liow does it happen that 
you have kept so much of the sonnakie ? ” 

“ I don’t know what you mean,” Joe an- 
swered, hiding the money as quickly as he could. 

“ Sonnakie ? Why, ’t is the name of our folk 
for gold, as you know well enough,” Alexander 
replied. 

“ The word I know, but your meaning I don’t 
know.” 

“ Don’t be foolish,” the old man insisted. “ I 
saw the yellow boys in your hand plain enough. 
So where did you get them ? ” 

“ I did n’t want them,” Joe replied ; “ but 
somebody gave me them — and they ’ve brought 
me no luck since I took them. You remember 
the little dog we brought from Paris ? ” 

“ Yes,” Alexander replied ; “ where is he ? I 
missed him when I came back from the Big 
Town.” 

“Those two yellow counters are what I got 
for the pup,” said Joe. 


88 


IN THE GYPSY CAMP 


“ You sold him too cheap — far too cheap — 
even though he cost us little enough/’ said the 
old Gypsy, angrily. “ If I had been here, the 
dog would not have been sold. He was worth 
ever so much.” 

“ I could n’t help myself,” said Joe. “ Wait 
until you have heard about it, and you won’t 
blame me.” 

Alexander drew out his pipe and filled it in 
silence, waiting for the young Gypsy to tell his 
story. Then began a long talk that lasted until 
their supper-time, and was even continued after- 
wards until each man had wrapped himself in 
his blanket and was sound asleep under a wagon. 
At first the older man scolded, when he had 
heard about the loss of the dog, and then he de- 
cided upon a plan to “make everything all 
right again,” as he put it. 

Whatever the plan was, it seemed to require 
that Joe should arise early next morning ; 
for he was the first up in the camp. As he had 
not undressed, he had only to wash at the stream 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


near by, pull on bis old cap, seize liis walking- 
stick, and be was ready to depart. 

He did not even wait for breakfast, but took 
the road at a swinging pace, and left tbe camp 
behind him without tbe knowledge of any one 
except old Alexander. 

Gypsy Joe walked all that morning, stopping 
only to buy a sandwich as he went through a 
town on his way, and this he ate under a tree 
beside the road. During the afternoon he was 
hailed by a farmer driving in a wagon, and in- 
vited to ride. Joe hopped in, and proved so 
jolly and amusing that the farmer insisted upon 
going a mile or two out of his way in order to 
take Joe to the next town. This town was on a 
railroad, and, going to the station, Joe bought a 
ticket, and rode for an hour or two in the cars. 

By evening Joe was within a mile or two of 
the house where Chris and Helen lived, and it 
was only just becoming dark when he knocked 
at the back door. 

To the servant Joe spoke politely, asking to 

90 


IN THE GYPSY CAMP 


see tlie master of the house for a moment. He 
was invited in, but refused the invitation, pre- 
ferring to wait outside. Before long the chil- 
dren’s father appeared and asked : 

“ Did you wish to see me ? ” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ Oh,” said the father, “ you are the man that 
came after the dog.” 

“ Yes, sir. And I have come again. I have 
made up my mind that I wish to buy the dog 
back again, and I have brought the money.” 

For a moment the father hesitated. He did 
not know exactly what to do. He did not wish 
to give up the dog, and yet he was not quite 
certain of his right to keep him. At length, 
remembering what had happened the last time 
Joe was there, he said : 

“ I do not think you have any right to the 
dog. You ran away when you were accused of 
stealing him. That was not like an honest man. 
Then you took the money for him, and you left 
this part of the country, or at least you did not 
91 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


come again to the house. Now you ask to buy 
the dog that you say is yours already. You 
can see for yourself that you do not act as an 
honest man would act. If you had insisted from 
the first upon having the dog, I might have 
told the children to give him up. But now I 
think it would not be fair to them to let you buy 
him again.” 

“ Then you will not sell me the dog ? ” 

“ No,” the other replied firmly. “ The dog 
belongs, so far as I know, to my children. You 
have made a fair bargain — even if the dog was 
yours, and, if they wish to keep the dog, I shall 
not ask them to give him up.” 

“ Will you see whether your children will let 
me have the dog again?” Joe asked. 

“ Certainly. Wait a moment, and I will ask 
them.” 

Joe sat down on the doorstep outside, and the 
father went to consult Chris and Helen. In a 
short time he returned. 

“ No,” said he. “ They say they think they 

92 


IN THE GYPSY CAMP 


have a right to the dog now, and they will not 
give him up. Besides, to tell you the truth, I 
don’t believe you can keep that dog, even if he 
were given to you.” 

“ Why not?” 

“ Because, when the dog heard me speak of 
selling him, he immediately ran out of the open 
door and hid himself somewhere. I feel sure 
he would run away if you attempted to keep 
him.” 

“ Let me get a steel chain on him, and he 
will stay as long as I chose,” said the Gypsy. 
“ But no matter. We Gypsies have our own 
laws, and one of them is that we keep our bar- 
gains. So long as I took money for the dog he 
was yours. But now I want the dog, and I 
shall have him whether you sell him or not. 
So take back your money. Here are the very 
goldpieces. Good-bye.” 

Then, before a word could be said, the Gypsy 
threw the gold, jingling, to the floor, and, turn- 
ing, was gone into the night. 

93 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


The father followed to the door and listened. 
But it was already dark, and it was impossible 
to see which way the Gypsy had gone. So, re- 
turning, the father picked up the goldpieces 
and took them with him to the room where 
Chris and Helen were sitting by the lamp, study- 
ing their lessons for the next day. 

“ What did he say, father ? ” asked Chris. 
“ Have we got to give up the dog ? ” 

“ He said that he would have the dog in spite 
of us,” his father replied, and he repeated the 
conversation as nearly as he could recall it, 
ending by showing their goldpieces. “ You may 
as well have them, for they are not mine, and 
the Gypsy refuses to keep them.” . 

Helen exclaimed : “ I don’t want the money, 
and he shall not have the dog,” and she looked 
ready to cry. 

But Chris calmly picked up the five-dollar 
goldpiece and thrust it into his pocket, saying : 
“ The more fool he ! I ’ll keep the money, and 
I ’m glad to get it. And I ’ll keep the dog, 
94 


IN THE GYPSY CAMP 


too. If lie thinks lie can steal so bright a dog 
as Gypsy, with me and you to look out for 
him, lie ’ll find he has a tough job.” 

“ I am almost sorry,” said their mother, 
“ that we ever saw the dog — nice as he is. For 
I ’m afraid the Gypsies may make trouble for 
us. Still, I don’t blame you for keeping him.” 

95 





CHAPTER VIII 


PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 

A S Joe was slinking away in the darkness 
he was suddenly startled by a barking 
close at his heels. Before he thought he 
jumped into the air and began to run. Gypsy — 
for it was the little dog who had seized the op- 
portunity to annoy his old enemy — ran after the 
man for a few rods, snapping at the heels of his 
shoes, barking and making all the noise he 
could. In a few minutes Joe stopped, and, turn- 
ing round, waited for the dog to come up, hop- 
ing to catch him. 

But the dog was too wise to keep up the attack. 
He had meant only to give Joe a good scare, and, 
having done that, he now turned and made his 
97 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


way home, chuckling and wagging his tail to 
himself in the dark. 

Gypsy’s wandering, outdoor life had made 
him wise and cautious. He did not know but 
that Joe might be sly enough to slip back to the 
house before him, and so Gypsy followed the 
man’s trail at a distance until sure that he was 
not coming back. 

It was so late when Gypsy returned to his 
home that Chris and Helen had gone to bed. 
Their mother was sitting at her sewing in the 
parlor, and the father was in his study reading. 
Gypsy scratched at the door until let in, and 
then trotted into the study, jumping softly into 
a chair near the table where the children’s father 
was sitting. 

“So you are back again, you wise little fel- 
low?” his master began. “You showed your 
good sense by keeping out of the way, for that 
man would have picked you up and carried you 
off like a bag of meal.” 

“Grumph!” said Gypsy, moving uneasily. 

98 


PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 


“But there is one tiling I don’t understand,’’ 
the man went on, really talking to himself, “and 
that is about your speaking that night. I ’m 
certain somebody spoke.” 

“ Grumph ! ” said Gypsy again. He was trying 
to make up his mind to talk, but it came hard to 
begin. 

“ That ’s right, old fellow ! speak up ! ” said the 
master, laughing. 

Now, this made Gypsy a little angry. It 
was as if his master thought he was an ordinary 
dog that could n’t speak if he liked. Being 
angry, Gypsy spoke right out before he thought : 

“ Then I will speak,” said lie. “ If you will 
listen for a few minutes, I ’d like to explain 
things.” 

“So you can speak!” exclaimed his master. 
“I shall begin to believe in fairy stories next. 
How came you to learn ?” 

One gets used to anything. The first time 
Gypsy spoke it had seemed almost miraculous. 
Now it was simply wonderful ; and, as he went 

L. of C. 99 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


on talking, his master soon forgot that it was 
even unusual. 

“ My master taught me. He was one of those 
that travel about the streets of Paris giving 
shows in the little parks and on the sidewalks,” 
said Gypsy ; and then he briefly went over his 
story again, much as he had told it to Gal op off. 

When he had finished, the children’s father, 
who had listened very attentively, remained silent 
for some time before he had thought out just 
what he wished to say. At last he said: 

“What you have told me has made me under- 
stand much better all that has happened. Now 
I can see that, though you were willing to come 
to us for a while rather than stay with those 
men that stole you, yet you would like to get 
back to your old master. Am I right?” 

“ Yes, sir,” the dog replied. “ He was good 
to me; I helped him make his living, and now 
he is all alone in the world, and I don’t know 
how he can make money enough to get along.” 

“ He made a living before he had you.” 


IOO 


PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 


“ True enough,” Gypsy rejDlied ; “ but that 
was when he was in the circus. Since I have 
been with him he has not kept in practice, and 
other men have taken his place. Besides, I 
know he did not like to work in the circus. I 
think I ought to get back to him if I can. You 
have been good to me to defend me when that 
man tried to get me back, and your children, too, 
have treated me kindly ; but unless you or they 
very much wish me* to stay, I think I should 
like to leave for a while/’ 

“They have gone to bed now,” said their 
father; “ but in the morning I will have a little 
talk with them, and see how they feel about it.” 

“ Thank you, sir,” Gypsy replied, gratefully ; 
“now I will say good-night.” 

“Good-night. And, by the way, what is 
your name? For, of course, ‘Gypsy’ can’t 
be it.” 

“No, sir; I had a different name. In fact, 
I have had several. But, if you don’t mind, I 
think I will keep the name the children gave 


IOI 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


me. You see, tliat name will always remind me 
of the time I spent in the Gypsies’ camp, and so 
it will keep me on the alert to avoid being 
stolen by those men again.” 

“I hope your lodging here is to your liking?” 
the father asked. 

“Entirely so,” was the answer. “I have 
never fared better. Good-night.” 

Next morning the father talked with Chris 
and Helen about Gypsy. He told them what 
the little dog had said, and asked them to think 
it over during the day. They were delighted to 
learn that Gypsy was willing to talk, and both 
of them wished to find him. But their father 
said they must not bother him just then. 

“ Think over what I have told you, and when 
you come home from school let me know whether 
you are quite willing that Gypsy should have 
our consent to his setting out in search of his 
old master.” 

“But, father — ” Chris began. But, their father, 
shaking his head and laughing, left them, sliow- 


102 


PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 


ing by liis manner that he did not care to say 
anything further on the subject. 

Chris and Helen talked about the dog all that 
day at recess; though, to tell the truth, there 
was nothing to settle, since both of them were 
willing that Gypsy should go. They were sorry 
to lose him; but they felt they really had no 
right to keep him, and, besides, they hoped he 
would find his old master. 

“ Would n’t it be fine,” said Helen, “if Gypsy 
could go across the ocean and bring the poor 
Frenchman back with him?” 

“Yes,” Chris answered, “it would be fine for 
him; but I don’t see exactly where we come in. 
Do you suppose father would let me go with 
him?” 

“ Of course not,” said Helen scornfully. 
“ You are only a boy. What could you do to 
help him? He does n’t need a ticket to go any- 
where; he can run nearly as fast as a horse ; he 
can pick up a living almost anywhere, and he 
can make friends with people everywhere he 
103 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


goes. If lie had you along, you ’d have to pay 
your way ; you ’d have to carry baggage. Peo- 
ple would think it queer for a boy to be travel- 
ing alone; and there are a dozen good reasons 
why Gypsy would do better by himself. Don’t 
you think so?” 

Chris did n’t reply for a little while. He was 
thinking it over. He could not deny that 
Helen’s reasons were all good, and he knew his 
father would n’t let him go. Yet he hated to 
give up the chance. So he tried to think up 
some good objection to Gypsy’s going alone. 
At length he asked : 

“ But how is he going to get across the ocean?” 

While Helen was thinking what reply to make 
the dog himself came into the room. 

“Here he is,” said Helen. “I am going to 
ask him for myself.” 

At this Gypsy pricked up his ears, sat up on 
his haunches, and remained in the attitude of 
“attention.” 

“ See,” said Helen, laughing. “ He ’s all ready 
104 



Gypsy— 4. 

“Joe was suddenly startled by 

HEELS.” 


A BARKING CLOSE AT 


HIS 


See p. 97 






































PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 

now. I believe lie will answer me if I talk to 
him. Tell me, Gypsy,” she went on, turning to 
the dog, “ do you mean to go to Europe to look 
after your old master?” 

“Yes,” said Gypsy. 

“ There ! ” cried Helen joyfully. “ I knew he ’d 
speak to me! Oh, Gypsy, do talk a little with 
us ! There ’s nobody else about, and we do wish 
to know your plans.” 

“Well,” Gypsy answered, “it comes hard for 
me to talk, because I ’m not very used to it, and 
I ’m afraid.” 

“Afraid of what?” Chris asked. 

“Afraid you ’ll laugh at me.” 

“Oh, we won’t, truly!” Helen exclaimed. 
“ We should be glad to have you stay with us, but 
we think you ought to help your master if he is 
in trouble. But can’t we write to him for 
you?” 

“ I don’t see how you can. I don’t know how 
to tell you where he lives. I can go there, but 
I can’t tell you the names of the streets.” 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ I see/’ said Chris. “ But how can you get 
across the ocean ?” 

“ In the boat/’ said Gypsy. 

“ Yes, but maybe they won’t let you on the 
boat,” Chris objected. 

“ I ’ll just go on board when they put out the 
plank.” 

“Do you know where to take the steamer?” 
Helen asked. 

“ I think so. And anyway, Galopoff can tell 
me.” 

“ Is n’t he the pony that is owned by the Bus- 
sian who lives in the big house over there?” 
Chris asked. 

“He is the pony,” Gypsy answered; “and he 
can tell me.” 

“How?” asked Chris. “Can he talk, too? 
Can all animals talk?” 

Gypsy did n’t know what to answer. He 
did n’t know whether Galopoff wished every- 
one to know that he talked. So he answered: 

“ Some of us can talk to each other. I can 

106 


PLANS FOR A JOURNEY 


understand liim pretty well; and he is a wise 
little horse.” 

“Very well, then,” said Chris. “I think — 
and Helen thinks, too — that you ’d better go. So 
you ’d better pack up your things — ” 

“ I have nothing to pack,” said Gypsy. “We 
find what we need, everywhere. Now, I think 
I will start in the morning early before you are 
up. It is cooler for traveling then. So I will 
say good-bye.” 

Gypsy held out his paw, first to Chris and 
then to Helen, and they gravely shook it. 

“Where are you going now?” Helen asked, 
as Gypsy dropped down on all fours. 

“ I think I ’ll trot over to see the pony, and 
get a few directions for the journey. Don’t mind 
my going. I will come back here some day. 
Good-bye.” 

Then Gypsy trotted out of the room. 

107 







CHAPTER IX 

OUT INTO THE BIG WOULD 

G YPSY had not meant to start quite so 
early in the afternoon; but as he trotted 
from the room he wondered why he 
should not go. He was all ready; every one 
was willing, and the sooner the better, he 
thought. If he had meant never to come back, 
he might have felt depressed on leaving a home 
where he had been so well treated. But he 
intended to see the place again, and it was a 
bright, sunny day; and so he suddenly deter- 
mined to begin his journey at once. 

There was but one thing remaining. He 
wished to have a little talk with Galopoff before 
starting out for himself. So away he went along 
the road leading to the grounds where Galopoff’s 

109 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


stable was. He bad no adventures on tlie way 
except a meeting with a big dog, who rushed 
out from a house he was passing. Gypsy tried 
at first to get by unseen ; but the big dog could 
run faster than he, and forced him to stop for a 
few words. 

“ Where are you going ? ” growled the big 
dog. 

“ Going to call on a friend,” Gypsy answered 
politely, trying to resume his progress. 

“Here, here; hold on!” growled the other, 
“ or do you want me to nip you ? ” 

“ I ’in in a hurry,” Gypsy said. 

“ Never mind. Your hurry will keep,” the 
big dog said, threateningly. “'Who ’s your 
friend?” 

“ My friend is the Russian pony,” Gypsy 
replied, seeing no reason for making a mystery 
of it. 

“Oh,” said the big dog more respectfully; for 
he had once tried to scare Galopoff by barking 
as the pony was passing, and had then received 


I IO 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


a lesson from one of GalopofFs flying little 
hoofs, a quick tap upon the nose, that the clog 
did not forget soon. “ Well, you can give him 
my regards. He 11 remember me. My name 
is Bruno. So, run along, small pup, but be 
more respectful to big dogs in future.” 

Gypsy hurried on, glad to get away from the 
silly fellow, and met no other living thing until 
he found Galopoff. Galopoff was not in his 
stable ; but Gypsy followed his tracks, and 
found the pony in a little meadow not far away 
from the house. Galopoff was wearing a very 
pretty blanket, and seemed quite pleased when, 
after their greeting, Gypsy told him it was very 
becoming. 

“Yes,” said Galopoff, twisting his neck 
around so as to have a good view of the em- 
broidery. “ I think it looks well on me. But, 
then, most things do — especially stylish things. 
The most becoming thing to me, though, is the 
high yoke that I wore when I was at home in 
Russia. That was really exquisite. I like silver 


1 1 1 


GYPSV, THE TALKING DOG 


sleigli-bells, too. Still, I don’t suppose you 
came here to talk about fashions. What ’s the 
news? When do you mean to make a start?” 

“ I have made a start,” said Gypsy. “ I ’m 
on my way now.” 

“ Where are you going ? ” 

“ I think I will go to Paris.” 

“ Across the ocean ? ” 

“ You have to, to get to Paris,” said the little 
dog, quite simply. 

Galopoff gazed at him a moment in silence. 
But he saw that Gypsy was not making fun of 
him, simply stating the truth. So Galopoff 
went on : 

“And did you come to say good-bye?” 

“Yes,” Gypsy answered, “and also to see 
whether you could give me any good advice 
about my journey.” 

This pleased Galopoff. He dearly loved to 
give advice, and so he pawed the ground thought- 
fully, and tried to think of the most useful 
things to say. He was silent for a few minutes, 


1 1 2 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


and meanwhile Gypsy sat waiting patiently until 
Galopoff should choose to speak. At length 
the pony said : 

“ I think, Gypsy, that the wisest rule for you 
to follow is to make friends with the men who 
can help you along. We animals are very clever 
in our own way, and people think I am especially 
so. But, compared to men, we know almost 
nothing. Now, that is the truth. If you try to 
get along by yourself, you may get into the 
pound, or be caught by the dog-catchers, or shot, 
or — I don’t know what. But you can make 
friends easily. A pleasant look, a wag of the 
tail, and people will see you are a pleasant sort 
of dog — ” 

“ Thank you,” said Gypsy. 

‘‘And they will help you along,” Galopoff 
ended. “How did you expect to make a start?” 

“ By going to the big city,” Gypsy said. “I 
meant to take a big ship to cross the ocean.” 

“And did you mean to get to the city on 
foot?” 


Ix 3 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ Of course,” said Gypsy. 

“Now, that is foolish,” Galopoff said. “A 
wise dog can go anywhere. You don’t use your 
brains.” 

“ What shall I do, then ? ” Gypsy asked. 

“ Here,” said Galopoff, trotting toward a stump 
in the field, “jump up on this stump, and then 
hop on to my back, and I ’ll take you over to 
the railroad, and on the way I ’ll tell you how 
to get a ride.” 

Gypsy did as he was told, and in a few mo- 
ments he stood firmly on Galopoflf’s back. Then 
the pony trotted away toward the gate in the 
fence. Coming to the gate, Galopoff opened the 
latch with his mouth, trotted out into the road, 
and then, in a long, easy canter, away they went 
down the road to the station. 

Suddenly Galopoff halted. 

“ Wait,” said he. “ I forgot something. Get 
down for a moment.” 

Gypsy made a flying leap from the pony’s 
back and alighted in the road. Then, to his 

114 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


great surprise, Galopoff readied around, cauglit 
hold of the end of the ribbon that bound the 
edge of his fancy blanket and tore off quite a 
long strip. 

“ Now, come here/’ said the pony. 

Gypsy, completely jmzzled, came nearer, and 
then Galopoff put the bit of ribbon around the 
dog’s neck, and even made a simple knot in it, 
after making many failures. 

“There,” said Galopoff, with great satisfac- 
tion ; “ now everybody will think you are the pet 
of some nice little girl.” 

“But what good will that do?” asked the 
puzzled dog. “ I can’t see any use in that.” 

“ It will be of the greatest use,” Galopoff an- 
swered. “In the first place, people will know 
that you will not bite, and that s very important. 
Besides, people do not like stray dogs, and the 
ribbon makes you look as if you had a home.” 

“I ’m afraid it will come untied,” said Gypsy. 

“It will stay for a while,” the pony answered; 
“and the first woman or little girl you meet will 

115 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


be sure to tie it in a bow-knot for you. They 
can’t help it. It is one of their instincts.” 

Gypsy didn’t like the ribbon ; but he thought 
it best to say no more on the subject. So he 
quietly hopped up to his place on Galopoff’s 
back — the pony stooping down for the puiq>ose; 
and, when they were once more under way, 
Gypsy asked : 

“ How shall I get a ride on the train?” 

“ Very simply,” Galopoff answered. “ You 
know a baggage-car when you see it?” 

Gypsy said he did. 

“Then as soon as the train stops you must 
jump into the baggage-car. It is a high jump; 
but you have been trained in leaping, and you 
can do it, I ’m sure.” 

Gypsy said he thought he could. 

“After you are in the car you must sit up 
when the brass-buttons man comes and beg. If 
you sit still and keep begging, and he happens 
to be good-natured, he will laugh and let you 
ride.” 

116 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


“Do you think lie will?” Gypsy asked. 

“ I know he will,” said GalopofF. 

“ I don’t see,” said the little dog, “ how you 
know so much, GalopofF.” 

“Oh, I just keep my eyes and ears going,” 
GalopofF answered, delighted to be praised, “and 
when I learn things I remember them. But 
here is the station, just over the hill. It won’t' 
do for people to see you on my back, or they ’ll 
think it queer. So down with you, say good- 
bye, wag your tail for good luck, and away 
you go!” 

They heard the whistle of the train, and 
Gypsy scrambled down. He said good-bye in 
a hurry, and wagged his tail as he ran for the 
station. GalopofF stood near the roadside, and 
snorted a cheery farewell. 

The train came to a standstill with a queer 
hissing of the brakes and a great crunching of 
the brake-shoes. Gypsy, with one last look at 
GalopofF, took a good running start down the 
11 7 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


road, around the station-building, and jumped 
into the open door of the baggage-car. 

There was no one in that part of the car when 
Gypsy entered, and he crouched in a corner 
ready to carry out Galopoff’s advice as soon as 
he should see the “ brass-buttons ” man. The 
car was what is called a combination-car ; that 
is, the rear part was fitted up to carry light 
freight, while the rest of it had regular seats for 
passengers. Gypsy kept quiet, and pretty soon 
the car started. For ten or fifteen minutes more 
no one came in, and then suddenly the door 
opened, and the conductor entered. Tie glanced 
sharply about, and soon saw the little dog in 
one corner. 

“ Hello,” he exclaimed, good-naturedly; 
“where ’s your ticket?” 

Gypsy remembered Galopoff’s directions, and 
at once sat up on his haunches as he had been 
taught. This made the conductor laugh, and 
he looked at the solemn little dog with a kindly 
smile. 

118 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


“ You seem to be a pleasant passenger,” he 
said. “ I guess I won’t ask for your ticket. 
You can make yourself comfortable. Wait; 
I ’ll give you something to lie on.” 

The conductor went to a closet in the corner 
of the car, opened it, drew out an old piece of 
sacking and spread it out so as to make a com- 
fortable bed. 

“ There,” said he, “ now you ’re as snug as a 
bug in a rug ! ” 

Gypsy wagged his tail gratefully, looked up 
at the conductor, and gave a deep little bark of 
contentment. The man was pleased, patted him 
on the head, and then left the car. 

Knowing that he had a long journey after 
leaving the train, Gypsy settled himself for a 
comfortable nap ; and in a few minutes was 
dozing and dreaming, more at his ease than the 
people in the parlor-car ahead. He dreamed of 
being back in Paris with his old master, and of 
going through his tricks in the streets to earn 
the pennies that brought daily bread for both. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Gypsy must have been tired; for he slept 
soundly until the train came to a stop in the 
big New York City station, and he awoke 
only when the men began to tumble freight 
about. 

Then he got up from his bed of sacking, 
stretched himself, sneezed once or twice, shook 
the dust out of his coat, and, going to the door 
of the car, looked out into the station. People 
were walking along toward the waiting-rooms, 
and Gypsy, jumping down, followed them. 

Again he discovered that Galopoff was a very 
clever pony; for pretty soon he noticed that a 
little girl was patting his head. He stopped at 
once, and again sat up. 

“Why, what a nice little dog!” exclaimed 
the girl, bending over him ; and then, noticing 
his ribbon was loose, she took hold of the ends, 
untied them, smoothed them out, and imme- 
diately retied them in a very neat little double 
bow-knot. 

“ There,” she said, flattening it into a regular 


120 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


butterfly-shape; “now run along, doggie, or 
you ’ll lose your master.” 

Gypsy again set his tail to wagging and his 
feet to trotting, and soon found himself in front 
of the big station, where there was a row of cab- 
men making all the noise they could. One of 
these stamped and clapped his hands as the dog 
passed ; and Gypsy, shying to one side, set off 
at a run across the street. When at a safe dis- 
tance, he slowed his pace, for he suddenly re- 
membered that he did n’t know exactly where 
to go. 

The next thing he had to find out was where 
to take the steamer for Europe. By this time 
it was late in the afternoon, and Gypsy began to 
be hungry. So he now had two problems be- 
fore him: first to find a supper, and next to 
learn where to take the big boat to carry him 
over the sea. Of course, the supper question was 
to come first, and it seemed a puzzler. Many 
little dogs would have known no way of getting 
a meal ; but Gypsy had not run about the streets 

8 — Gypsy. 


121 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


of Paris without sharpening his wits. He did 
not yet know much about fun or joking — his 
life had been too hard for that — but he had 
much practical good sense, and could pick up a 
living where a lapdog would have starved. 

So now he picked out the busiest street he 
could find, and went trotting slowly but steadily 
along, keeping a bright lookout for a butcher’s 
shop. He had gone only a few blocks when 
he saw a stout, red-faced man in a white apron, 
standing at an open doorway. Then Gypsy 
knew that he might hope for a bone at least. He 
trotted bravely up to the man and stood quietly 
wagging his tail slowly. The butcher looked 
down at him, and then turned away. Gypsy 
waited. Soon the butcher came back with a bone 
that made the dog’s mouth water. 

“ Catch !” said the butcher, tossing it in the 
air. 

Gypsy jumped and caught the bone, and then 
slowly trotted to the curb to eat it. This pleased 
the butcher, and he said : 


122 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


“ You Ve good manners, I see.” 

Gypsy ate the bone, and then trotted away, wav- 
ing a few grateful wags to the kindly butcher as 
he went. Thus the first of his little problems 
was pleasantly over ; the second seemed harder. 
Yet, now that he was fed, Gypsy had more 
courage, and set his mind busily to work trying 
to find where to look for the big ships. 

When he had come across the ocean with the 
Gypsy-folk he had landed in New York, and 
he remembered how the docks and piers looked. 
Where they were he did not know, but he thought 
he could find out if he kept his eyes and ears 
open, as Galopoff had advised. He began to 
try to remember all he could about the vessel 
and the people on board. Gradually it became 
clear to him that there were two kinds of people 
on the ship — the travelers and the men who 
sailed the vessel. Then he remembered how the 
sailors looked, how they were dressed, and how 
queerly they walked. 

“ I ’ll keep a sharp lookout,” said Gypsy to 
123 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


himself, “on all the people that £>ass, and maybe 
I ’ll see a sailor. If I do, I will just follow 
him till I find a ship.’’ 

He was so delighted with this idea that he 
began to skip, and to run faster, hardly noticing 
where he was going. In this way he got into 
trouble. While he had been going quietly 
along nobody noticed him ; but when he hur- 
ried he attracted attention. Soon a newsboy 
saw him, and at once gave chase. 

Gypsy was frightened. He knew that the 
boy would be sure to try and keep him for a 
pet or a plaything, and Gypsy had no time to 
spend in that way. As the boy came near 
Gypsy began to growl, and at once took to his 
heels in earnest. 

It was a hard chase. The boy ran well, and 
Gypsy had to dodge to avoid being caught. 
Besides, other boys joined in, and before many 
minutes there were three after him. Gypsy’s 
heart began to beat fast and his breath came 
short. He saw that the boys would not give 
124 


OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD 


up tlie chase unless they should be scared or 
outrun. Gypsy made up his mind to try 
scaring them. So he suddenly turned, and, 
with a growl that sounded very savage, he 
bared his teeth and ran straight at one of the 
boys. At once the boy stopped, and jumped 
aside to avoid the charge, and cried out to the 
others : 

“Look out, boys, he 'll bite you!” 

The other boys stopped running, and then, 
before they could recover themselves, Gypsy 
dashed to one side, put on all the speed he 
could, turned down a side-street, and away he 
went. 

He was not at ease until he had gone around 
two corners, and then, seeing he was not fol- 
lowed, he slowed down again. 

“That teaches me something,” said he. “If 
I go quietly people won’t notice me ; but if I 
jump about somebody is sure to get after me.” 

125 






















































































































- 








. 


























































































































CHAPTER X 

THE SAILOR AND THE SHIP 

A LL the rest of that evening Gypsy wan- 
dered about the city without bringing 
himself any nearer to finding out how 
to begin his voyage across the ocean. He met 
many city dogs; but while a few barked or 
growled at him, most of them he found too busy 
to pay any attention to him. He exchanged 
greetings with one or two, and growls with one 
or two more, and that was all. Presently dusk 
came, and Gypsy saw that he must be thinking 
of lodgings for the night. 

Now, this w T as something he knew little about. 
He had always gone to his master’s home, and 
so had no experience in securing other quarters 
127 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


for tlie night. He tried to make friends with 
one stray dog, and to ask questions. But the 
dog laughed at him. 

“ You ’re no tramp dog,” he told Gypsy, “or 
you would n’t be wearing a silk necktie ! ” 

So the bow that had helped him was, in this 
case, worse than useless, and Gypsy was forced 
to rely on his own wits. Once he thought him- 
self in luck ; for, coming to a deserted alley, he 
saw it filled with old boxes and barrels, in one 
of which he felt he might sleep dry and warm 
for the night. Gypsy turned joyfully into the 
alley, and began to poke about to select the box 
that was most comfortable. 

While he was nosing here and there, suddenly 
he heard a fierce growling, and a big bulldog 
came at him with a whole broadside of white 
teeth, saying in a terrifying tone: 

u Get out of this, or I ’ll shake every tooth 
out of your jaw!” 

Gypsy was no coward ; but he saw no use in 
fighting, and so he turned and retreated. But 

128 


THE SAILOR AND THE SHIP 


lie did n’t liurry liiinself. He simply went 
somewhere else. 

His next venture was luckier. He came upon 
an old iron pipe lying in a vacant lot. One end 
of the pipe was against the corner of the fence, 
and Gypsy backed into it, and went to sleep, 
knowing he could defend himself against any- 
thing small enough to crawl into his lodging. 

He woke rather late next morning, and at 
once betook himself to the search for somebody 
that looked like the sailors he had seen on board 
the steamer. But first Gypsy was clever enough 
to find his way back to the butcher-shop, where, 
though the butcher was busy, he was fed and 
treated kindly. Then Gypsy wandered out into 
the city streets again, gradually going further 
downtown, because, since it was early morning, 
most of the men seemed to be going that way. 

It was nearly noon, and Gypsy had wandered 
down toward the Brooklyn ferries, when he 
saw a sailor. The man Avas dressed in dark 
blue trousers, a rough flannel shirt, and a queer 
129 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


round cap; but Gypsy would not Lave known 
lie was a sailor except for bis rolling gait. The 
man walked as if the sidewalk was tipped to and 
fro under him. 

“Aha!” said the dog to himself, “there’s a 
sailor at last! Now, I ’ll just keep him in sight 
until he goes to some ship. Then I ’ll know 
what to do.” 

It was not difficult to keep near the man; for 
lie walked slowly, continually looking about 
him. Gypsy decided that he must be a stranger 
in the city, and most likely a foreigner ; for the 
sailor seemed to be interested by everything he 
saw. He gazed into shop-windows, shaped at 
the corners, looked up at the tallest buildings, 
and spoke to no one. Of course, Gypsy could n’t 
tell whether he had just come ashore or how 
soon he would return to his ship ; but the dog 
could think of nothing better to do than to follow 
and take chances. There were other sailors met 
now and then, and there seemed no reason why 
Gypsy did not follow one of them except that 
130 


THE SAILOR AND THE SHIP 


the first sailor he had seen somehow pleased him 
better than the others. At last all question of 
leaving his first choice was put aside; for the 
sailor, happening to run into an old clerk who 
came hurrying out of a doorway said, removing 
his hat : 

‘ ‘ Parclonnez-mo i, m'sieu ! 1 9 

So Gypsy knew that he had by chance chosen 
a French sailor, and he decided to follow this 
one to the end, if there seemed any hope of his 
going aboard a ship. And follow him he did 
until noon, when the sailor entered a restaurant 
in a street bordered on one side by houses, and 
on the other by docks and ships. Gypsy was 
delighted when he came to this street, and began 
to believe he should find a way of crossing the 
ocean to Europe; and he was so afraid of losing 
sight of his guide that he sat down near the 
door of the eating-house to wait until the sailor 
should come out. There was much loud talking 
and laughing inside, and Gypsy soon learned 
from what he overheard that some of the other 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


men were making fun of tlie French sailor’s 
broken English. At first the talk was good- 
natured ; but as it went on it became ill-humored, 
and at last ended in a quarrel. There was some 
scuffling, and then the French sailor came fly- 
ing out with one of the others running after 
him. Both were going at the top of their speed ; 
but the Frenchman was the lighter-footed, and 
soon gained so far on the pursuer that the other 
gave up the chase and returned to the eating- 
house. 

As the Frenchman had dashed out he had 
dropped his hat. There was no time to turn 
back for it, and the man ran on bareheaded. 
Gypsy, seeing a chance to do the man a kind- 
ness, picked up the hat, and tore away after the 
French sailor. Gypsy did not have far to go; 
for the sailor soon stopped his wild flight, and 
fell into a walk. Gypsy trotted along behind, 
carrying his hat in his mouth. 

When the sailor at last noticed the little dog 
following, he was delighted to recover his hat, 

132 


THE SAILOR AND THE SHIP 


praised Gypsy, patted him, and talked French 
in a way that warmed the dog’s heart toward 
him, especially as the sailor was a handsome, 
black-eyed young fellow with a smiling mouth 
and kindly voice. The two made friends at once, 
and the sailor walked on with Gypsy following 
close at his heel. 

“ You ’d make a good sailor’s dog,” the sailor 
said in French, and Gypsy barked and jumped 
about. “ Very well, then,” the sailor went on. 
“ Come aboard with me. We sail this after- 
noon, and, if the old man does n’t say no, you 
shall sniff salt air.” 

Of course, Gypsy was delighted, and followed 
more willingly than ever, feeling that he was 
born to good luck. The two turned in at a door- 
way on the water-side of the street, and the 
sailor, picking Gypsy up in his arms, carried 
him into a queer room where there was a great 
crowd of people. It was a ferry; but Gypsy 
did n’t know that, and the dog was very much 


i33 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


surprised wlien they went on the ferryboat and 
put off from shore. 

Gypsy enjoyed the trip across the river, but 
thought it the shortest voyage he had ever 
known. Reaching the other side, the sailor 
set him down again, and then, after a not very 
long walk, they found themselves on a long 
wooden pier beside a real ocean-going vessel, 
but one much smaller than that on which Gypsy 
had crossed the ocean. The sailor again lifted 
Gypsy, and, climbing up a steep plank, took 
him aboard the steamer. 

“ What you got there, Jack?” asked another 
sailor, who was mending his jacket, sitting cross- 
legged on the deck. 

“A little friend I made in New York. I got 
into a sort of scrap with some persons in a place, 
and when they called me frog-eater I pulled 
the nose of one. Then I ran, and my cap it 
fell off, and this little fellow ran behind at my 
feet and brought me my cap with much kind- 
ness. Then I asked : ‘ Will you become a 
i34 


THE SAILOR AND THE SHIP 


sailor’s clog ? ’ and lie did wag his tail, and so — 
I adopted him.” 

“Cap’n won’t have it,” said the other sailor. 

“That is to be known,” said the French sailor. 
“I can but ask. Come,” he said to Gypsy, 
and took him forward into the forecastle. 

Gypsy was so pleased to be really on a 
steamer again that he found even the sailors’ 
dark, crowded quarters very delightful. “At all 
events,” thought Gypsy, “ this is better than 
sleeping in a pipe on a vacant lot.” 

The captain came aboard that afternoon, and 
Gypsy was soon wakened out of a nap to be 
taken up on deck and exhibited. The captain 
seemed gruff, but not ill-natured. He looked 
at Gypsy, and snapped his fingers. Gypsy sat 
up, and kept still. Then the captain took a 
lump of sugar out of his pocket and tossed it 
toward the dog. Gypsy had been well taught 
in tricks, and he caught the sugar very cleverly. 
The captain laughed, and held out his hand. 
Gypsy gave him a paw. 

i35 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ He looks smart,” said tlie captain, “ and lie 
obeys well. He can do no harm, and he may 
catch a rat or two; so you may keep him, 
Jack.” 

“ Thank you, sir,” said the sailor. 

“ But,” the captain went on, “ take off that 
ribbon. You can make him a sailor collar out 
of some stuff, but I won’t have ladies’ lapdogs 
on my ship.” 

“ Yes, sir,” said Jack, untying the ribbon and 
throwing it over the side. “Come below,” he 
said to Gypsy, “ and I ’ll make you a collar more 
in shipshape style.” 

And Gypsy went forward, thankful that he 
was to begin his voyage, and thinking that even 
Galopoff would hardly have managed better. 

136 


CHAPTER XI 


gypsy’s VOYAGE 

F OR a day or two the ship remained at the 
pier loading. All day long men were 
rolling and carrying and hauling things 
up the gang-plank, and stowing them away in 
the great dark hold of the vessel. The sailors, 
too, were working hard, and did not have any 
time to give to the dog. As for Gypsy himself, 
he was so well pleased with his good luck in 
getting aboard a steamer that was to sail so soon 
that he devoted himself only to resting and 
keeping out of the way. Besides, he was tired 
by his long tramp about the city, after he had 
passed his time so quietly in Chris and Helen’s 
house, and now he was glad to keep quiet once 


more. 

q— Gypsy. 


137 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


At first lie found himself a good deal in tlie 
way. No sooner did he pick out a nice place for a 
nap than someone would come and roust him 
out of it. He was too much of a landlubber to 
know which parts of the deck were likely to be 
undisturbed, and it was not until late in the 
second day that he found out that by going far 
forward into the bow he would be where nobody 
came. 

Jack, the French sailor, was very kind to 
Gypsy when he had time, and took care that 
the little dog had two good meals every day, 
and that there was a tin of fresh water within 
his reach. But, except for a kind word in pass- 
ing and a pat on the head now and then, he was 
too busy to pay any attention to Gypsy. 

On the third day the cargo was all in, and at 
last the ropes were cast off, a sturdy little tug 
was attached, and the steamer was hauled out 
into the river and towed out to the harbor. 

Gypsy was still kept busy avoiding the 
trampling feet and tumbling packages, and had 
138 


GYPSY’S VOYAGE 


no time to notice anything. He knew that they 
had begun the voyage, and that was all he 
cared about just then. And when they finally 
were in blue water, and the waves began to 
toss the vessel about, Gypsy found out what 
Jack had meant by several joking remarks 
about “ getting his sea-legs on.” He could not 
at first keep his footing, and once or twice went 
rolling over the deck until he came whack 
against the bulwarks. Besides, Gypsy did not 
feel at all well. He did not enjoy his meals, and, 
in fact, ceased to eat anything for the first day 
or two at sea. 

He was seasick, and so miserable that he 
began to wonder if he had n’t made a mistake 
in trying to cross the ocean. The voyage from 
Europe in the big passenger steamer had not 
made him sick at all ; but this little boat bobbed 
about in a manner very different from the long ? 
slow roll of the enormous ocean racer. 

Gypsy was cured of his sea-sickness in a curi- 
ous way. One of the sailors — the same one that 
i39 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


had been mending his clothes when Gypsy came 
aboard — was a mischievous fellow, and, like 
other lovers of mischief, thoughtless of the 
suffering his jokes caused. Seeing Gypsy 
moving mournfully about the deck, he said: 

“ This will never make you a sailor, pup. 
Do you know how we make sailors out of green 
hands? We send ’em aloft". That *s the best 
cure for seasickness.” 

Then, seeing that Sailor Jack was not on 
deck, he caught Gypsy up and jumped into the 
rigging. Even if the dog had known what the 
sailor was going to do with him, he could not have 
run away ; and, indeed, Gypsy did not much care 
just then. Up and up climbed the sailor, hold- 
ing Gypsy tight *with one arm and climbing 
with the other. Higher and higher he went 
until he came at last to the very top of the mast, 
where there is a flat, round place called the truck. 
Then, reaching up, the sailor put the dog there 
and slid down, leaving the poor little landlubber 
to crouch down and hold on as well as he could. 

140 


GYPSY'S VOYAGE 


Scared ?* Gypsy was scared out of his sea- 
sickness. He crouched tight down, and, getting 
his paws over the edges, held on for his life. 

Meanwhile Jack had come on deck just in 
time to see the other sailor coming down, and, 
looking up, he spied Gypsy clinging to the truck. 
Jack thought the little dog could hold on for a 
few minutes, at least, and, slipping quietly below, 
he waited quietly with a rope’s-end until the 
mischievous sailor came within reach, and then 
began to dust his jacket for him. Jack gave 
the scamp a good thrashing, and then, dropping 
the rope, climbed the mast and took Gypsy 
safely down. 

The other sailor was angry ; but the rest of 
the crew told him he deserved all he got, and so 
nothing more came of the squabble, except that 
Gypsy found his sea-sickness was entirely cured, 
and from that day began to enjoy his life at sea. 
The weather was fine, the winds and waves 
quiet, and the steamer ploughed her way day 
after day without much to remember or to tell. 

141 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Gypsy and Jack became excellent friends and 
good companions. When Jack was on deck 
during a night-watch Gypsy would stay beside 
him or walk with him. When they were below 
Jack tried, after the manner of sailors, to teach 
his pet some tricks. Of course, Gypsy knew all 
the common tricks; but he thought it wiser to 
let Jack have the pleasure of teaching them over 
again, and in that way, too, Gypsy had many a 
reward for his cleverness in learning tricks he 
had already learned long ago. 

There was one thing Gypsy did n’t like at all. 
They sometimes put him into the hold to kill 
rats, and these fellows were so big and so fierce 
that it was no easy matter to deal with them. 
But Gypsy felt it was only right he should do 
some work in return for his passage and sup- 
port, and did his part so well that the captain 
praised him, and told Jack that Gypsy was pay- 
ing his way. Gypsy found out, too, that the 
fighting and hard work did him good, giving 
142 


GYPSY’S VOYAGE 


liim plenty of exercise, and improving his 
courage. 

Altogether, the voyage was making Gypsy 
over. He was bigger, stronger, braver and 
more cheerful. He became a little more used 
to fun and good-humored joking. The men 
had no other pet aboard, and so played many 
tricks on the dog — tricks that he took good- 
naturedly. 

Of course, no one ever suspected that Gypsy 
could talk, and he was glad of that. He was 
afraid that the sailors would never let him go if 
they knew all he could do, and if they found 
out he could understand what they said. 

So they sailed on, and the days passed by, 
until Gypsy began to find the voyage much 
longer than he had expected. He did At know 
or did n’t remember just how long he had been 
at sea coming to America; but he felt sure, as 
time went on, that this voyage was much longer 
than that had been. Exactly how many days 
they had been at sea Gypsy could not tell, when 
M3 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


one day lie heard the cry, “ Land, lio!” and 
was overjoyed to think that his long voyage was 
over. 

But, unfortunately, Gypsy had made himselt 
too well liked. The sailors were afraid they 
might lose him; and before they came near 
their harbor Jack took Gypsy down below, and 
shut him up in a kind of prison made of wooden 
bars. Jack came to see him every day, and 
still looked after his comfort; but Gypsy was 
not let out. One day he whined and begged 
and made such a fuss that Jack felt sorry for 
him. * 

“ Never mind, old fellow,” said he, soothingly. 
“You don’t want to get lost here in South 
America. You wait until we get to Madagas- 
car, and then you ’ll have a run ashore like the 
rest of us.” 

You may be sure this gave Gypsy something 
to think about. He did n’t know much geog- 
raphy, it is true; but he understood that South 
America was part of America, and not in 
144 



Gypsy — 5 

“ GYP.SY CROUCHED TIGHT DOWN, AND HELD ON FOR HIS LIFE.” 

Seep . 141. 










































































GYPSY’S VOYAGE 


Europe; while as for Madagascar, it was a 
place of which he had never heard. Gradually 
he began to see that he had been very stupid 
just when he had thought he was cleverest. He 
had thought a French sailor must be going to 
France, and had never done anything to find 
out where the steamer was bound. Now he was 
sure that they were going to some part of the 
world that was far away from where he had left 
his master, and what to do about it he did n’t 
know. You may be sure that Gypsy did not 
have many happy hours in his prison ; and even 
when the vessel was once more at sea and Gypsy 
was let out of his prison, he was in a doleful state 
of mind. 


145 









































































, 

. 








CHAPTER XII 
IN A STRANGE LAND 

G YPSY was on board wliat is called a 
tramp steamer. That is, a steamer with- 
out a regular route. These vessels go 
wherever they can make money by delivering 
their cargoes. The one on which Gypsy had 
made his voyage was loaded with cotton-goods, 
crockery and many sorts of provisions in tin- 
cans. Her owners expected to bring back in 
return India rubber, hides and other products of 
the great island. The steamer had stopped at 
several South American ports on her way, but 
of these, as has already been told, Gypsy saw 
nothing, being shut up in the hold for safe- 
keeping. 

The little dog had understood from Jack that 
147 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


wlien they arrived at Madagascar lie would be 
allowed to go ashore, and he longed for a chance 
to leave the ship. They had sailed south con- 
tinually, and the weather was very hot ; but the 
crew bore it all patiently because there had been 
no storms and nothing to cause them anxiety 
or hard work. After they had rounded the 
Cape of Good Hope, and were sailing north- 
ward, the crew felt certain of a lucky voyage. 
Everybody on board was good-natured, and only 
Gypsy seemed ever unhappy. He did his best, 
however, to bear his part in amusing the crew, 
and often went through his tricks for their pleas- 
ure when he would rather have been grumbling 
and growling in some corner by himself. 

One night, when Jack was on the lookout for- 
ward, with Gypsy beside him, the sailor was too 
tired to keep awake, and before he realized how 
drowsy he was becoming his eyes closed, his 
head drooped, and he was fast asleep. It may be 
that Gypsy himself was not entirely wide- 
awake, but he was really excusable, for he was 
148 


IN A STRANGE LAND 


not on duty. At all events, suddenly Gypsy 
was wakened by the puffing of a steamer, and 
jumped to his feet to see a red light on the port- 
bow, a light so near that Gypsy thought the two 
steamers would run each other down. There was 
no time to wake Jack. Gypsy had to act, and 
he called out as loud as he could : “ Red light 
on port bow ! ” and then caught Jack’s arm and 
shook him. 

The steersman heard the cry, and steered to 
starboard. The two steamers passed one another 
altogether too near for comfort — but the danger 
was over. Jack woke as the other steamer 
passed, but he never knew who had given the 
warning. He did know that Gypsy had tried 
to wake him, and he was fonder of his pet than 
ever. 

This was the last adventure before the arrival 
in port at Tamatave, the chief port of the great 
island of Madagascar. 

It was a happy little dog that trotted along up 
the sandy shore at Jack s heels on the day they 
149 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


first liad liberty. The city where they had 
landed was situated upon hilly ground surround- 
ing a great stretch of sandy shore. Most of the 
houses were low, but a few were of several stories, 
and had high towers at the corners. Most of 
the people were dressed in white and went bare- 
foot, but a few wore European dress. The na- 
tives seemed to be of many races, but the two 
principal ones were an olive-colored, tall and 
fine-looking people, and a shorter, darker race of 
negroes with kinky, black hair. 

Gypsy was wise enough to keep close to sailor 
Jack. He had no wish to be lost in a strange 
land, where, for all Gypsy knew, small dogs 
were favorite articles of diet. Jack had never 
been in the town before, and wandered aimlessly 
about seeing the sights, and looking for a place 
where he might get a good meal — the first thing 
a sailor likes on getting ashore in a strange 
place. So they went through the streets gazing 
at the queer people and the odd sights, until 
Jack caught sight of a sign reading: “ Cafe 

150 


IN A STRANGE LAND 


Frangais.” It was oppressively hot, and the 
sailor was glad to get into a shady place where 
he could have a cool drink, and Gypsy gladly 
followed him. 

They found themselves in a small, neat room, 
containing two or three wooden tables and chairs, 
and a few pictures of French generals. Jack 
dropped into a chair, and Gypsy coiled up un- 
der it and fell fast asleep, just as he heard Jack 
call a waiter and give his orders. 

When Gypsy awoke it was pitch-dark and 
perfectly still. He rose from the floor and 
bumped his head against a rung of the chair. 
Then he crawled out, and moved cautiously 
about. 

“Now,” said Gypsy to himself, “I know just 
what has happened. That new master of mine 
has been drinking too much, like other sailors 
when they go ashore” — Gypsy had learned a 
great deal of sailor-life from the talks he had 
heard in the forecastle — “and then he has just 
gone away, forgetting me altogether.” 

J5* 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


It made cold cliills run up and down Gypsy’s 
back to find himself alone in this strange house, 
in a strange land, and in the black darkness. 
But he was braver than he used to be, and 
began at once to plan how he could get out of 
the scrape. 

Evidently the first thing was to see where the 
door was. So Gypsy kept straight ahead, ex- 
cept for a table-leg or two, and soon came to the 
wall. Then he kept close to the wall, and 
began a slow circuit of the room, knowing that 
in this way he was sure to find the door. About 
half-way round he came to the door, but found 
it closed tight. 

“ Now,” said Gypsy, who had expected this, 
“ the next thing is to find a window, and that is 
more of a puzzle.” 

So he sat down, and wondered how he should 
reach up high enough to be on a level with the 
windows. 

“If there was only a row of chairs all the 
way around,” he began; and then he thought 
152 


IN A STRANGE LAND 


that one chair would do if only he pushed it 
around a little at a time. 

The chairs were light, and Gypsy, by stand- 
ing on his liind-legs, found he could easily 
move one of them. He pushed it to the wall, 
and standing up on it felt with his nose each 
way as far as he could reach. Then he pushed 
it a little farther, felt again, and so on. It was 
slow work, but sure, he told himself. 

After going about six feet the chair hit against 
a table. Gypsy groaned ; for he thought it 
would be a hard job to push the chair all around 
the table. Then he remembered suddenly that 
the table might be set against the window, and 
at once leaped to the top, and felt about. To 
his joy he discovered a window, and with very 
little trouble lifted the latch, and threw the 
casement open. 

He was just about to jump out, when he drew 
back quickly, reflecting that he did n’t know 
where his “leap in the dark” would end! 
Again he sat down to solve this new puzzle, and 

jo— Gypsy. jri 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


in a moment had a happy thought. On the 
table there were a few dishes. Gypsy picked 
out the smallest and lightest — a butter-plate — 
and dropped it out of the window. It fell only 
a short distance, as he could tell from the sound, 
and apparently upon soft ground. 

“A dog must take some chances !” said 
Gypsy, and leaped out. 

He came down on a garden-bed among some 
flowers, unhurt and free. 

Now that he was outside, Gypsy could see 
better, though the sky was very cloudy. He 
was in a little garden surrounded by a sort of 
open-work fence, but so loosely put together 
that he had no trouble in squeezing himself 
through and into the street. 

Of course, he did n’t know which way to go; 
but he did not have long to decide ; for, as he 
stood hesitating, there came a sudden rush, and 
a big dog — a watchdog — came over the fence 
with a fierce growl and a gritting of teeth. 
Gypsy did not stop to consider which was North, 
iS4 


IN A STRANGE LAND 


South, East or West. He did n’t care much 
about which way he went ; but he wished to go, 
and to go quickly. Away he went, doubled up 
like a bow, and then stretched out like a string, 
while right at his heels came the watchdog. 
Gypsy was just about to be overtaken when 
he saw at the side of the road a big packing- 
box. He gave a leap into the air, thinking that 
he might make a fortress of it, and keep the big 
dog away for a few moments, at least. 

But the box proved to be not only a fortress 
but also a prison. There was a loose board on 
top of the box, fastened only at one end by 
some loose nails; and as Gypsy came down ©n 
the board it fell inward, letting him slide into 
the box, and then sprung upward, making him 
a prisoner. 

Meanwhile the big dog had not the slightest 
idea what had become of the little one. He had 
been just able to see him, and saw the leap 
toward the box, but could not see where Gypsy 
went afterward. He ran to the other side, then 


i55 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


back again, sniffed about for a few minutes, and 
then gave up the chase, running back to the 
yard from which he had come, leaving poor 
Gypsy in his wooden prison. 

156 


CHAPTER XIII 


WHAT GYPSY FOUND 

S O long as the big watchdog was waiting 
outside, Gypsy had no wish to leave 
the box. But when the big dog was 
gone, and all was quiet, Gypsy began to con- 
sider how he was to escape and get back to 
the ship. Try as he could, Gypsy was unable 
to climb up the smooth sides of the box; the 
loose board was too high for him to reach it, 
and there seemed nothing to do but to gnaw his 
way out. So he tried to make some impression 
on the boards. But it was useless, since they 
were too smooth inside to give him any hold, 
and he could do no more than scratch a few 
tiny splinters from the sides. Having kept at 
this work until his short nose was sore, Gypsy 
*57 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


gave up the attempt, and, like a sensible little 
fellow, coiled liimself up and resolved to wait 
patiently whatever might come. He was so very 
patient that he soon became drowsy, and then 
began to snore. In spite of his sleep that even- 
ing, Gypsy was soon lost in the land of dreams — 
dreaming of the country home of his puppydom 
and of his street- wan derings in Paris. 

It was broad daylight when he awoke ; and, 
as he did not quite come to his senses at first, 
be believed drowsily that he was again on ship- 
board; for the box was swaying gently to and 
fro and up and down. As Gypsy came broad 
awake he remembered all that had happened, 
and knew that the box was being carried some- 
where, with a small dog inside. He very softly 
raised himself from the bottom of the box, and 
found a crack between the boards through which 
he could look out. 

Gypsy could not see much; but the little he 
saw was enough to make it plain to him that 
the box was being carried on the shoulders of a 
158 


WHAT GYPSY FOUND 


tall, dark native, wlio was climbing a mountain- 
trail. Where he was going, and how long he 
had been traveling already, Gypsy had not the 
faintest idea. He believed that he must have 
waked soon after the journey began; but he did 
not know. 

Not being acquainted with the native who 
was carrying him, Gypsy, of course, decided to 
keep quiet for the present, until he could get 
some idea whether he would be petted or would 
be made into dog-stew. But naturally it was 
not the happiest day of Gypsy’s life. 

The journey went on until the sun was well 
overhead, and then the native stepped aside into 
the shadow of some trees, let the box drop from 
his shoulders — giving Gypsy a terrible bounc- 
ing — and lay down to rest. Gypsy was inclined 
to grumble at being tossed about in so rough a 
fashion ; but, when he recovered himself and 
looked about him, he found reason to be very 
glad of the tumbling. When he stood up in 
the box he found that it had turned half-way 
i59 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


over, so that what had been the top was now at 
the side. Gypsy knew that he could pull the 
loose board inward and escape as soon as the 
drowsy native should fall asleep. The open side 
of the box was away from the native; but 
through a crack on the other side Gypsy saw 
the man’s feet, and knew he was lying down. 
He hoped the man would snore, for then he 
would not be afraid to steal out. So he patiently 
waited. 

In about ten minutes Gypsy heard the snoring 
sound, and very cautiously caught hold of the 
board, pulling it inward. It yielded readily, 
opened wide; Gypsy crawled softly out — and 
was free! 

At least he was out of the box and able to run 
about ; but where to go was a puzzle. Of course, 
he knew nothing about the country, and there 
was nothing in sight to guide him back to the 
town from which he had come. Yet, though 
his eyes could not serve him, he had another 
servant that proved more useful. He at once 

160 



GyPsv — 6 . 

“GYPSY CRAWLED SOFTLY OUT, AND WAS FREE! ” 

See p. 160 . 





■■ 

& 























































WHAT GYPSY FOUND 


began by scent to trace the steps of the native 
down to the coast. 

Following the man’s footsteps would bring 
him back to where the box had been. “And 
then,” thought Gypsy, “ I ’ll find Jack’s tracks 
from the French restaurant back to the ship.” 
And, once back in the ship, the dog decided that 
he would try to get either to Paris or to Amer- 
ica, without caring much which; for he had 
convinced himself that he was not wise enough 
to go about the world alone. 

As he went trotting along as fast as he could 
follow the scent, Gypsy did a lot of thinking, 
and, besides, kept his eyes about him for fear 
he might run into some party of natives. He 
was not afraid the native that carried the box 
would come after him ; for he felt sure the man 
had not known he was inside. Gypsy saw 
many queer sights in the woods as he went 
along: plenty of monkeys, for one thing — mon- 
keys that chattered at him and threw branches 
or nuts at him as he passed; and he saw some 
161 


GYPSY, TIIE TALKING DOG 


snakes and queer-looking spiders; but lie hur- 
ried on without giving these much thought. 

Suddenly, when Gypsy came to a cross-trail, 
he stopped and began sniffing the ground most 
search ingly. Then he threw his head upward, 
and then again began to smell about. He 
seemed very much excited ; for his body quiv- 
ered all over. At last, being alone in the woods, 
he spoke aloud to himself — something he had 
almost never done before. 

“Well,” he exclaimed, “by the father of all 
the dogs that have barked at the moon, that 
scent was left by my old master’s foot, or there ’s 
no trusting my nose any more ! ” 

Again he went over the trail. It was some- 
what confused, as if a large party of men had 
passed there; but Gypsy could not believe he 
had made a mistake in knowing the tracks were 
his old master’s. 

“It can’t be possible,” said Gypsy, again. 
“I am surely dreaming. Here I am — I don’t 
know how many miles away from France — and 

162 


WHAT GYPSY FOUND 


here is the scent of my old master’s trail. It 
is n’t possible; but all the same it is true. I 
can’t always trust my mind ; but I can always 
trust my nose. So here goes. I will follow his 
trail wherever it takes me!” 

So saying Gypsy at once left the path he had 
been following, and took up the new one. 

It led him directly to the bank of a river, 
and then followed a sort of rough highway 
among the rocks. All that afternoon Gypsy 
followed it, and just at nightfall it led him to a 
large encampment of soldiers. Although Gypsy 
did not know anything about it, there was fight- 
ing going on at that time between the French 
and the Malagasies, as the natives of Madagas- 
car are called ; and the trail he had been follow- 
ing was that of a body of French soldiers who 
had been sent to capture a native village. 

Had Gypsy known the soldiers were French 
he would have entered the camp without fear; 
but now he made up his mind to go around the 

163 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


camping-ground and look for tlie trail on the 
other side. 

That morning there had been a little skirmish 
between the French soldiers and the natives. 
It had been soon over, and the natives had run 
away, leaving their village to be destroyed by 
the troops, according to the orders of the French 
general. These orders had been carried out, and 
nothing but smoking ruins remained. There 
had been a sharp fight first, and one of the 
French soldiers, in pursuing some natives, had 
gone astray. When the natives were out of 
sight and the soldier turned to rejoin his com- 
rades he could not find his way. This did not 
worry him at first, for he felt able to lookout for 
himself until his comrades should find him; but 
presently he began to feel weak, without know- 
ing the cause. Soon he found great difficulty 
in keeping his feet, so much had his weakness 
increased, and, besides, he felt deathly sick. He 
sat down under a tree, and leaned against the 
164 



Gyfisy — 7. 


“ HE SAT DOWN UNDER A TREE, AND LEANED AGAINST THE 

See p . 164. 


TRUNK.” 




























* 



















































- 










WHAT GYPSY FOUND 


trunk. Then, looking down, he saw a slender 
arrow that hung by its barb in the side of his 
thigh. The wound it had made was very small 
— too small to have caused him any trouble ; but 
the soldier knew that some of the natives still 
used poisoned arrows, which they blew through 
long wooden tubes. Then he was frightened, 
for he knew that unless the tiny wound was 
properly cared for he had not long to live. Yet 
he could not walk far by himself, and he was 
afraid he might be abandoned by his comrades, 
who would think that he had fallen in their 
fight with the natives. He tied up the wound 
as well as he could, but he did not know how 
to treat it. He grew weaker, and at length lost 
his consciousness. 

He did not know how long he lay senseless, 
but he was awakened by a little dog who was 
pulling at his arm. He opened his eyes drow- 
sily, and the little dog capered about him joy- 
fully. 

“ Don’t you know me?” cried the little dog 
165 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


in French. “ Don’t you know me? I know you. 
I am your little dog who was with you so long 
ago in Paris — your dog that did tricks, the dog 
that they stole from you ! Wake up, master- 
Wake up ! You must go back to your friends. 
They are near ! ” 

And all the time Gypsy kept running about 
and wagging his tail for pure joy that he had 
found the master he had thought was in Paris. 

“ Yes, I know you,” said his master, smiling. 
“ But I am so weak I can hardly move.” 

“ What ’s the matter ? ” Gypsy asked. “Are 
you hurt?” 

“I have been wounded,” said the soldier; 
“not a large wound, but it is poisoned. Unless 
you can bring me help soon I shall die. You 
must run and bring some of the soldiers from 
the camp.” 

“ Yes,” said Gypsy, “ I will. But can’t you 
send a word by me ? Can’t you write ? If they 
should hear me speak, I don’t know what they ’d 
think.” 


166 


WHAT GYPSY FOUND 


“You’re right,” said the soldier, to whom hope 
had given strength. And, taking a pencil from 
his pocket, he wrote a little note on a scrap 
from an old letter, and tied it around Gypsy’s 
neck. 

As soon as the note was fastened, Gypsy 
dashed off at the top of his speed, with his 
heart drumming his ribs. He went so fast that 
two or three times he rolled head over heels, 
but stopped only long enough to see that the 
note was still fast to him, and then went on 
helter-skelter. 

Gypsy dashed into the camp so recklessly that 
he scared the guards, and one of them shot at 
him — luckily missing. But Gypsy did not stop 
until he tumbled into the officer’s tent, where he 
stood wagging his tail and whining. 

“ My life, what ’s this ? ” exclaimed the officer, 
and then saw the bit of white paper. In a 
moment he had read the note and given his 
orders; in a few minutes a squad of soldiers 
were following at Gypsy’s heels, and before 
167 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


nightfall the wounded man had been brought 
into camp, treated by the surgeon, and was rest- 
ing quietly — very sick and weak, but in no 
danger. 

168 


CHAPTER XIV 
MUCH IN LITTLE 

D URING the time his old master was 
getting well Gypsy was much petted by 
the French soldiers. They called him 
“ The Dog of the Regiment,” and made him a 
handsome collar of the French national colors 
— blue, red and white — signifying “ hope, honor, 
courage.” All were eager to care for the brave 
little comrade who had saved his master for 
them. Gypsy delighted in all this, but each day 
he would make visits to the hospital- tent to learn 
how his master thrived. 

He mended rapidly, for the wound was nothing 
once the poison had been taken from his system. 
In two days he was able to see Gypsy, and the 
two had a long talk when no one was by. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Gypsy’s story you know. His master was amazed 
to learn of the trick by which the Gypsies had 
stolen his dog, still more surprised to learn of 
the dog’s voyage to America, and he was deeply 
touched by his dog’s devotion in attempting to 
cross the ocean again. Both wondered at the 
strange chance that had brought them together 
in this African island so unexpectedly. 

Gypsy’s master had also a story to tell, but it 
was quickly told. After losing the dog — which 
meant loss of his living — the poor fellow had 
tried many ways to make his daily bread. He 
had peddled ; he had tried to enter the circus 
ring once more, but could find no place either 
as acrobat or clown. Then he tried one trade 
after another, but did not do very well in any. 

“At last,” he said to Gypsy, “finding Paris 
had no use for me, and having no friend 
in the city, I said to myself that I would see 
something of the world. So I took service in 
the active army, and when the war began against 
these islanders I was sent with my regiment to 
170 


MUCH IN LITTLE 


the city of Tamatave, where you landed. We 
had one rather serious fight, and then the natives 
retreated inland. There has n’t been more than 
a mere skirmish now and then ; but one of these 
skirmishes nearly finished me. If you had n’t 
come to rescue me I should have died, surely.” 

When each had told his story, they began to 
discuss the future. Gypsy — for his master had 
agreed to call him by this new name, which the 
little dog liked best of all he had borne — had no 
idea except to stay with the regiment ; but, to his 
surprise, this did n’t suit his old master at all. 

He had many talks with the dog, whenever 
they were left a few minutes by themselves, and 
in all he insisted that Gypsy ought to go back 
to America. “America,” the soldier would say, 
“is the best home for you. You found friends 
there, and they would be glad to keep you in 
comfort. If you stay with us, you will have a 
hard life.” 

“ But I am glad to share with you,” Gypsy 
insisted. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ I know. But I am likely to lose my life 
any day, and then what will become of you ? 
The soldiers will be good to you, no doubt, but 
there is no quiet and no certainty in their life. 
No, Gypsy, when we get back to town — which 
will be in a few days now — I will find this sailor 
and see if I can’t get him to take you back to 
your little American friends, Chris and Helen. 
Then, when I am once more free, I will come to 
America, too, and we will live there.” 

So their talks always ended, and at last Gypsy 
was brought to see that his master knew best, 
and consented. In a few days more the soldiers 
broke camp, and marched back to Tamatave, 
where they were in garrison. 

Then, as soon as he could get leave, Gypsy’s 
old master went with him to the ship that had 
brought the dog from America, and inquired 
for Sailor Jack. The two Frenchmen were 
friends at once, and the sailor was delighted to 
see the little dog once more, and to hear of his 
172 


MUCH IN LITTLE 


strange adventures since their parting on the 
day they ianded. 

He gladly agreed to take charge of Gypsy 
again, and to see him safe home to New York, 
as soon as the steamer sailed. She was already 
loading, and in a week more was ready for the 
return voyage. During the waiting Gypsy had 
a pleasant visit with his master and the other 
French soldiers, but became so tired of the strict 
rules and hours of soldier-life that he was glad 
to go aboard of the steamer, though sorry to part 
with his master. They parted on the shore, 
Gypsy jumped into a little boat, Jack and the 
other sailors pulled on their oars, and it was 
good-bye to his old master and to Madagascar. 

Of course, there were various interesting hap- 
penings on the voyage home — such, for instance, 
as the day when Gypsy discovered a fire on 
board the ship, and gave the alarm at the top 
of his voice, and thus saved her. But one can- 
not tell everything. After a long and rather 
prosperous voyage the vessel came at last to her 
173 


GYPSY, T PI E TALKING DOG 


dock in Brooklyn, and Gypsy went asliore with 
his sailor friend — a bigger, stronger, brighter 
dog than he was a few months before, and happy 
that his voyage, though begun so stupidly, had 
turned out so well. 

Sailor Jack was anxious to see that Gypsy 
was put safely on the train for the town where 
his friends lived, and so went with him all the 
way to the Grand Central station. Once here, 
Gypsy bade Jack good-bye in dog-fashion, and 
then lurked about the station, waiting to find 
the “ brass-buttons man ” who had been so good 
to him on his former railroad journey. Jack 
had attached to Gypsy’s collar a tag on which 
was written the name of the station to which he 
was going, and a request that the conductor 
would see he was put off there. 

All this was done because it was what Gypsy 
had asked his master to do for him. Besides, 
there was nothing else to do. Gypsy had told 
his master he would not be sent home like a 
package, and had insisted that a dog who could 
i74 


MUCH IN LITTLE 


travel half around tlie world by himself did not 
need any great care. 

It was early in the morning when Gypsy got 
to the station, and it was late in the afternoon 
before the dog found his friend, the conductor. 
Seeing him, Gypsy ran up to him at once, and, 
sitting on his haunches, waited to be noticed. 

“Well, well,” said the conductor, “it seems 
to me I have seen you before! How are you? 
What is it now, old fellow?” 

Gypsy shook the tag that was attached to his 
neck. 

“Oho,” said the conductor, laughing, “I see! 
You have a ticket now, have you? But that 
is n’t a ticket; it is only a tag. I ’m afraid 
somebody will have to pay your fare.” 

Gypsy understood him, and began to bark, 
and to shake his head. This made the conductor 
laugh again. “So you want to travel on a pass, 
do you? Well, you he not the only one, by 
several I know. Come here, pup, and I dl see 
if I can’t fix you out.” 


*75 


GYPSY, TIIE TALKING DOG 


Gypsy followed, and tlie conductor led liim 
through the gates, and then pointed to a car. 
“ Hop in,” said the conductor, “and I ’ll let you 
know when to get off.” 

Gypsy jumped into the car, and gladly coiled 
up in a corner, feeling that his travels were 
almost over and were coming to a pleasant con- 
clusion. In about twenty minutes the cars began 
to move, and then went faster and faster until 
they were gliding along at express speed. 

Gypsy heaved a sigh of relief. “Surely,” 
said he, “my master was right. I’d rather be 
in America, traveling on a railway, than bump- 
ing about in a packing-box carried by a native 
porter over the hills of Madagascar.” 

176 


CHAPTER XV 

GYPSY MAKES ANOTHER MISTAKE 

G YPSY settled down for liis journey with 
the feeling that now his troubles were 
over. He had nothing to do but wait 
quietly until the conductor came to let him 
know that he had reached the right station, and 
then to hop off and make his way home along 
the familiar road from the station. The train 
stopped at many places, and Gypsy began to 
wonder how long it would be before the con- 
ductor came. He had waited so long about the 
big station in New York that it was a late train 
that he was on, and now it began to be dusky. 
The brakeman came through the train and 
lighted the gas. Still Gypsy heard nothing 
i77 


GYPSY, T PI E TALKING DOG 


from the conductor, and at last he became so 
uneasy that he got up and nosed about the door 
to the car to see whether anyone was coming. 
He felt sure the conductor had forgotten all 
about him, and that he had been carried by his 
station. At last Gypsy became so certain that 
the journey was much longer than that he had 
made in traveling away from Chris and Helen’s 
house to New York, that he made up his mind 
to find the conductor at any risk. So he left 
the part of the car in which he had been put, 
and went out among the passengers. He went 
so quietly that no one noticed him, and by 
waiting near the door until it was oj)ened at a 
station he soon succeeded in getting into the 
next car. 

Here he met a man in a blue uniform, with 
brass buttons, and ran eagerly to him. But 
Gypsy had made a mistake. This conductor 
was a stranger, and, on seeing the dog, he 
asked : 

“ How did this dog get in here?” 

178 


GYPSY MAKES ANOTHER MISTAKE 


There was no answer, and the man asked 
again : 

“ Who owns this dog?” 

There was no reply; and so the conductor, 
picking Gypsy up by the neck, carried him to 
the platform and threw him off — luckily at a 
time when the train was not going very fast. 
Gypsy had no time to make any protest. In 
fact, before he could imagine what the conductor 
was going to do, Gypsy found himself flying 
through the air and hoping that he might be 
lucky enough to alight on something soft. 

He did. He fell on something that was alto- 
gether too soft; for he went, plump! into a 
stream of water that flowed beside the railway. 
This gave him a good ducking, but probably 
saved him from injury. 

Gypsy could swim, of course; and when he 
came up from his dive he was thoroughly cross 
and disgusted. 

“There,” he sputtered, “that’s just the way 
things go! I can sail all around the world 

179 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


without getting my feet wet, and when I am 
almost home I must be thrown head over heels 
into a ditch beside the road ! ” 

He climbed the bank and sat down to get his 
bearings. He remained where he was for some 
time, hoping that he might see something that 
would give him a hint of his whereabouts. But 
he could see nothing but a long, bare stretch of 
railroad track, shut in on each side by woods. 
He could not see even this very distinctly, as it 
was now nightfall, and there was no moon or 
other light except the faint glimmer of a rail- 
road switch light far down the track. Gypsy 
concluded that he must, of course, have been 
carried beyond his station, and so ought to fol- 
low the railroad in that direction. He was well 
rested now; he had not been hurt by his souse 
in the ditch, and he was chilly when he sat still. 
So up he got, and away he went along over the 
ties, but keeping a sharp eye forward so that he 
might have early warning of the coming of 
another train. 

i So 


GYPSY MAKES ANOTHER MISTAKE 


He traveled several miles in tliis way, now 
and then getting off the track when warned by 
the gleam of the locomotive headlight; and then 
he came to a place where the road branched. 
Now, Gypsy had not the faintest idea which 
road to take, and he came to a halt, completely 
discouraged. He was in a new part of the 
country ; his scent was useless ; he could see no 
house, or any sign of life or of human beings, 
except the railroad signals. 

While he was hesitating what to do, another 
train came pounding along, and Gypsy ran up 
a little bank by the roadside, from which to 
watch it flash by him. He was almost blinded 
by the headlight and lighted windows of the 
cars, and had to blink his eyes before he could 
see clearly again. He turned his back on the 
railroad to rest his eyesight by looking into the 
dark woods, and then he saw a light in the dis- 
tance. 

For fear lest he might take the wrong branch, 
Gypsy did not dare follow the railroad further 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


just tlien, and so lie thought he would go toward 
this light. 

He entered the woods, and made his way 
slowly through the underbrush, now seeing the 
light in the distance, and then losing it again 
when he crossed some hollow. But he was cer- 
tainly coming nearer to it all the time, and so 
he kept on. 

When he had approached near enough to 
make out what the light was, he could see that 
it was a bonfire in the woods. It had burned 
quite low, and only now and then flared up so 
as to show anything of what surrounded it. 
Gypsy made up his mind to go a little nearer 
and see whether there were any men about ; but 
he meant to be very cautious. 

Unfortunately Gypsy went too near. Sud- 
denly a big dog rose and came dashing toward 
him, barking loud and acting as if he would eat 
Gypsy at once. Gypsy could not run away, for 
that would have caused the big dog to attack 
him, and so he bristled, up the hair on his neck, 

182 


GYPSY MAKES ANOTHER MISTAKE 

showed liis teetli, and growled out in dog-lan- 
guage : 

“ Look out ! If you come too near, I shall 

biter 

But several men who had been sleeping near 
the fire had come after the big dog. They car- 
ried sticks, and were ready to fight. Gypsy’s 
heart beat fast; but he could not run away, for 
the fierce dog was only waiting a chance to seize 
him. 

As the men came up one of them said : 

“Oh, it ’s only a little dog. But — wait! I 
think — yes, I ’m sure now — it ’s Jucal ! ” 

Then Gypsy knew that lie had fallen upon 
the Gypsies’ camp, and he made one wild 
attempt to dash into the woods. But no sooner 
had he started than the big dog jumped for him 
and caught him by the ear. 

“ That ’s right,” cried the young man — it was 
certainly Gypsy Joe; “hold him, Blacky! Hold 
him! I’m coming!” 

Joe rushed forward and seized Gypsy by the 

183 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


collar, and Gypsy’s chance of escaping was 
gone. They took their captive back to the 
camp, and chained him to one of the wagon- 
wheels; and, to make it still surer that he should 
not get away, they set the big dog, Blacky, to 
watch over Gypsy — a thing the ugly brute was 
only too glad to do. 

So just when Gypsy had felt that all his 
troubles and trials were at an end he had fallen 
again into the hands of his worst enemies. The 
poor little fellow did not sleep a wink that night, 
and in the morning he was tossed into one of 
the wagons and chained to its side. 

Then the Gypsies broke up their camp, and 
made their way out of the woods. Every now 
and then the man Joe would come to the side of 
the wagon to see that the captive was still 
secure, and at these visits he would tell Gypsy 
what was in store for him. 

“Alia,” said Joe, “so you could n’t keep away 
from us? You were too fond of us, weren’t 
you, Jucal? Well, we’ll see you don’t run 
184 



Gypsy — 8. 

“GYPSY FOUND HIMSELF FLYING THROUGH THE AIR.” 

Seep. lyg. 









GYPSY MAKES ANOTHER MISTAKE; 


away again in a liurry; and, by the way, I owe 
you a thrashing for the way you jumped at my 
heels when I had to leave you witli your fine 
friends. I ’ll keep the dust out of your hide, 
Jucal.” 

Gypsy paid no attention to Joe, for really he 
was too miserable. He remained crouched in a 
corner of the wagon, and would not even look 
at his tormentor, who came again and again to 
gloat over him. 

They traveled all the morning, and at noon 
they encamped in the woods again to eat dinner. 
They gave Gypsy some pieces of hard bread 
and a little water, and then sat down outside 
while they ate. But during this halt Gypsy 
overheard the two Gypsies who had stolen him 
talking together, and learned something that 
pleased him. 

“ You ’re a fool,” said the older man to the 
younger one, “to keep in this part of the country. 
If you stay here, and the dog should get away, 
he ’ll find his way to his old friends again.” 

12— Gypsy. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ He won’t get away,” said Joe. “ I ’ll take 
good care of that. And I must stay liere for a 
day or two, for there ’s money to be made at the 
fair.” 

“ Is there a fair ?” Alexander asked. 

“ Yes,” Joe answered, “it ’s the County Fair, 
and I have to buy a horse. Besides, by making 
\ J ucal do his tricks I can earn a hatful of 
money.” 

“ You won’t dare bring him out.” 

“ But I shall,” said Joe. “ He ’s a smart 
little scamp, I know. But no one comes to these 
fairs except the farmer folk. There ’ll be none 
of his old friends there.” 

“ I would n’t take the risk,” said Alexander. 

“ But I ’m going to take it,” Joe answered. 

So from this talk Gypsy knew that his friends 
were not far away, and he hoped something 
might happen to save him from the hands of 
the thieves who had stolen him, and who now 
meant to put him again to the hard life from 
which he thought he had escaped forever. 

186 


CHAPTER XVI 


A TALK AT MIDNIGHT 

O N tlie day of the County Fair the Gypsy 
camp was early astir, meaning to get to 
the grounds as soon as possible, in order 
that they might choose a good place for their 
encampment. The chief of the Gypsies, old 
Alexander, had spoken to the managers of the 
fair, and had told them what an attractive ad- 
dition to the show a “ Real Gypsy Encamp- 
ment” would be. The managers had agreed with 
him, and so in all the showbills posted about 
the country the coming of the Gypsy riders, 
Gypsy fortune-tellers and Gypsy dancers had 
been well advertised. If Joe had known that 
he was to be so lucky as to capture his best per- 
forming-dog again, no doubt he, too, would have 
187 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


been told about in big letters on tlie barns and 
in the post-offices for several miles around. Joe 
was glad now that this had not been done, for, 
in spite of his brag to Alexander, he was uneasy 
for fear Gypsy might be seen by some one 
who knew him. Still, he had to take chances if 
he wished to make any money out of the dog. 

Arriving at the Fair, the men put up tents 
made of white sheeting; the women put on glass 
beads, colored ribbons, big earrings, and a dozen 
other things they never wore at any other time. 
All tried to look as much as they could in the 
way they thought the farmers would expect “real 
Gysies ” to look, for they hoped to attract silly 
young men and maidens who wished their for- 
tunes told, and also to do a little horse-trading — 
and possibly a little pocket-picking, if any came 
in their way. 

Poor Gypsy would have been entirely miser- 
able but for a hope that the Fair might be the 
means of letting his friends know of his captiv- 
ity. This hope made him so ready to do his 
1 88 


A TALK AT MIDNIGHT 


part in preparation for liis tricks that Joe was 
quite delighted with him, and even gave him 
several lumps of sugar for doing so well what 
he was told. 

Gypsy had another reason for wishing to 
please Joe. He was afraid that at the last mo- 
ment Joe might decide it was dangerous to have 
the dog perform. So Gypsy held his little gun, 
tumbled, rolled, stood on his head, and, in short, 
carried out all Joe’s orders so promptly and so 
well that Joe actually patted him on the head 
and said : 

‘‘Bravo, Jucal! There never was so bright 
a trick-dog as you ! I ’m glad to see you ’re 
not sulky. Keep up your good behavior, and 
you and I will get on famously. Let bygones 
be bygones, and we ’ll be friends yet.” 

But Gypsy was honest, and he could n’t wag 
his tail, just then, even though he knew it was 
the wise thing to do. 

The morning of the first Fair day passed very 
pleasantly for all in the camp. It was sunny 
189 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


and bright; the place was filled with visitors; 
they were generous with their money, and every 
one of the Gypsies was good-humored. Early 
in the afternoon Joe wrote out a big sign, in 
which he gave a glowing description of the 
“ Performing Dog. The most intelligent and 
amusing quadruped in the whole world. An 
animal that could do anything but talk!” And 
so on until he had filled a large sheet of paper. 
This was fastened up outside of their largest 
tent, and inside they put all the chairs they 
could get. 

People came in crowds to the show, and filled 
the tent, paying twenty-five cents each. Then 
poor Gypsy was brought out, unchained and 
made to perform. For the reasons already given 
he did his very best; but all the time Gypsy 
kept looking at every one who entered the tent, 
hoping to see some one he knew. There were 
three performances given that afternoon, and at 
all of them Gypsy failed to see a familiar face. 
But, just as he was being led from the tent back 

190 


A TALK AT MIDNIGHT 


to the wagon to be chained up for the night, 
Gypsy’s heart suddenly gave a bound. He 
caught sight of a little black pony with a white 
mane and tail. It was Galopoff. 

But, to his dismay, the pony did not seem to 
know him, and would not even look his way. 
Poor Gypsy tugged at his chain for a moment, 
fearing that Galopoff had not seen him. But 
he need not have worried about that. There 
was very little that Galopoff did not notice; and, 
in fact, though Gypsy did not know it, it was 
Galopoff who had brought about their meet- 
ing. 

Galopoff loved racing, and had won many 
prizes when he was younger. He always begged 
to be taken to the races whenever any were 
held. This had brought him to the Fair, and, 
once there, he had seen the placard upon the 
tent of the Gypsy encampment. Galopoff had 
then begged his master to let him stay a while 
near the tent, so that he might find out whether 
the dog advertised to perform was his old 
191 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


friend, Gypsy, though that seemed hardly pos- 
sible. 

So now, just as Gypsy was being led by him, 
the clever little pony pretended to snap crossly 
at the dog, bringing his sharp teeth almost to 
the dog’s ear. Joe thought the pony was ugly 
tempered, and hastily snatched Gypsy out of 
the pony’s reach. Really, while his mouth was 
almost at Gypsy’s ear, GalopofF seized the oppor- 
tunity to whisper to him just the words: 

“ To-night! ” 

Now, Gypsy had some sense, and he under- 
stood at once that he was to keep on the watch, 
so that he could be ready to help in any plan 
the pony might be able to think of. So, when 
all the rest of the camp were fast asleep, late 
that night, Gypsy kept his bright eyes open, 
and his ears alert, for any sign that might show 
his friends were near. 

About midnight he heard a soft brushing 
against the wagon-curtains, and very slowly and 
cautiously, so as not to rattle his chain, Gypsy 

192 


A TALK AT MIDNIGHT 


drew himself close to where he had heard the 
sound. 

Then he heard a soft whisper. It was Gal- 
opoff’s voice, but so low that it could not have 
been heard even a few feet off. 

“Are you awake, Gypsy ?” the pony asked. 

“ Yes. Can’t you get me away?” 

“ Not to-night, I think,” said Galopoff. “ It 
is much easier to get into fixes than out of them. 
But to-morrow night I think we can do some- 
thing for you ; for I shall give my mind to it.” 

“ But why don’t you come to the camp right 
in daylight, and demand that they let me go?” 
asked Gypsy, still in the same soft whisper. 

“ Because we could n’t show we owned you,” 
said Galopoff. “Don’t you see, the Gypsies 
have as much right to you as anyone else. You 
chose to go away from Chris and Helen; they 
let you go, and so now they don’t own you. 
Your own master is far away, I suppose.” 

“Yes, lie’s in Madagascar; I saw him there. 
It is a big island off the coast of Africa — ” 

193 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“See here, Gypsy,” Galopoff whispered, “this 
is no class in geography. Besides, I know 
where Madagascar is. Listen to me. You have 
no owner, and these Gypsies — Goodness! I 
wish your name was n’t the same! It is con- 
fusing. These thieves have as much right to 
you as we can show.” 

“But,” said poor Gypsy, much discouraged by 
this speech, “surely you ’re not going to leave 
me in their hands?” 

“Of course not,” said Galopoff. “I was 
talking of what the law might say if we claimed 
you. We ’re not going to claim anything. We 
are going to take you, and let them claim you 
if they dare. You ’ll save time if you ’ll do the 
listening and let me talk.” 

“All right. Go on, Galopoff,” said Gypsy, 
more cheerfully. 

“Very well. Now, to-morrow night I shall 
bring a few friends with me, and we will see 
whether we can’t outwit these dog-stealers. 
Honest folks are nearly always cleverer than 
194 


A TALK AT MIDNIGHT 


rogues when they give their minds to it, I be- 
lieve. So you be ready, and at about this same 
hour you ’ll see something happening. Good- 
bye, or — since you ’re a French dog — I ’ll say, 
A u revoir / ” 

Almost without a sound Galopoff was gone. 
He had not waked even Blacky, the big watch- 
dog; and little Gypsy, full of hope, fell fast 
asleep, and slept quietly until sunrise. 

i95 























* 


























CHAPTER XVII 


A COUNCIL OF WAR 

I F there was anything Galopoff really enjoyed, 
it was a chance to distinguish himself. He 
was so delighted with his good luck in 
finding Gypsy, and his head was so full of 
plans and schemes for rescuing the captive, that 
he was really frisky when he was taken out next 
day. His master, who was driving him, had 
not seen him so full of spirits in a long time, 
and did not know what to make of it, for Galopoff 
was not so young as he had been. At last, when 
they came to a part of the road where there was 
no danger of being overheard, he s$d aloud, ad- 
dressing himself to the pony : 

“What is the matter with you, Galopoff? 
Have you been taking too many oats ? ” 

197 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Galopoff tossed his head indignantly. 

“ No,” he answered, “ this is not the effect of 
anything so common as oats. I have just made 
a discovery.” 

“ What is it?” asked his master. “Something 
fine at the fair?” 

“Absurd ! ” Galopoff replied. “ Do you re- 
member the great Russian fairs? And can you 
ask me whether I have been pleased over any- 
thing at this trumpery little County Fair? No. 
I have found out a piece of villainy.” 

“Ah,” said his master, more seriously, “some- 
thing really important, then.” 

“ Yes, something in which I am going to ask 
your help. Do you remember the clever little 
dog that ran away from the Gypsies, and was 
taken care of by your little friends, Christopher 
and Helen?” 

“ I remember him,” said his master, “ but I 
thought he went abroad to look for an old 
friend.” 

“ So he did,” Galopoff went on, “ but now he 

198 


A COUNCIL OF WAR 


is back again after a journey half around the 
world, and somehow he has fallen into the hands 
of the Gypsies who stole him before.” 

“ Perhaps he went back to them of his own 
accord,” said Galopoff’s master. Was he the 
Performing Dog they advertised at the Fair ? ” 

“Yes; and afterwards, last night, I went to 
the Gypsy encampment in the woods near 
by-” 

“Was n’t that a little risky?” his master in- 
terrupted. “They might have stolen you, you 
know.” 

Galopoff was much diverted by this idea. 

“ They steal me f ” he exclaimed. “ Why, 
the very idea is amusing! I almost wish they 
had tried it ! It is a long time since I have had 
a real good chance to kick anything that de- 
served it. But I must not waste time talking 
about such foolishness. What I wish to do is 
to put you into full possession of the facts in 
the case, and then secure your aid or your ad- 
vice, as the case may demand.” 

199 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“But wiiat do you intend to do?” asked liis 
master. 

“ I have n’t entirely made up my mind,” 
Galopoff replied, “ and so I am going to think 
the matter over quietly when I am taking my 
noonday lunch, and then I shall ask you to 
have a talk with me about it.” 

“ Very well,” answered the Russian Prince, 
who was almost as fond of adventure as even 
Galopoff himself. “I ’ll come out to the stable 
this afternoon about three o’clock, and we ’ll 
hold a council of war.” 

This being settled, they drove home, and each 
went to the noontime meal. 

About three o’clock the Russian Prince came 
out to Galopoff’s stable, and sent Terence, the 
stable-boy, on an errand that would keep him 
out of the way. Then he drew up a chair, 
Galopoff came ©ut of his stall, and they settled 
down for a good talk. 

“I don’t remember just how much I have told 
you about Gypsy,” Galopoff began. “ Gypsy, 


20 © 


A COUNCIL OF WAR 


you know, is the name of the dog we spoke about 
this morning. But perhaps it will be enough 
to give you just a brief resume or synopsis of 
the situation.” 

Galopoff knew a good many big words, and 
liked to use them when sure they would be un- 
derstood. 

“ I know only that he has been stolen twice 
by these Gypsies,” said his master. “ Who owns 
the dog?” 

“ I should think that a lawyer would say he still 
belonged to his French master,” Galopoff said. 
“And, since he is out of our reach, I don't think 
it altogether wise to raise that question. My 
idea is to get him away from the thieves, and 
let them claim him if they dare.” 

“ Good, so far,” his master agreed. 

“ The next question is how to get hold of him. 
They are very cautious now, and they keep 
Gypsy chained in one of their wagons. Near 
the wagon the Gypsy men sleep, and, besides, 
there is a big watchdog on guard. I wish he 

13-Gypsy. 


201 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


was in some place far away from here. It is 
easy enough to outwit men — ” 

“ Thank you,” said his master, smiling. 

“ When they ’re asleep,” Galopoff went on 
very coolly. “ But with a faithful watchdog it 
is a different matter. Still, I think it can be 
done.” 

“ Do you mean to steal Gypsy from their 
camp?” 

“ Exactly; and I have thought out a plan. 
I admit that, though I am not often puzzled, 
the big watchdog was a — sticker, if I may be 
allowed a piece of slang.” 

“Oh, certainly,” said his master, smiling to 
himself. 

“Thank you,” Galopoff replied politely. “At 
first I thought I would just steal quietly into 
the camp and knock his head off with a good 
kick. Then that seemed too rough, perhaps.” 

“ It does sound a little rough,” said the Prince. 

“And then I had one of my clever ideas,” 
Galopoff went on. “Do you know the dog 


202 


A COUNCIL OF WAR 


Bruno, that lives about a mile or two down the 
road?” 

“ I remember. A nuisance of a dog that came 
out and barked at you one day — ” 

“ Yes,” said Galopoff, “ I gave him a gentle 
hoof-touch to teach him better manners. It did. 
He has been very sensible ever since. Sent his 
regards to me once or twice ; bows and smiles 
and wags at me now when I pass. Yes — that ’s 
the dog. My idea is to take him with us; that 
is, with you and me — ” 

“So I am to go?” his master asked, roguishly. 
“ I ’m sure you could n’t stay away,” Galopoff 
answered. “ You and I have been through 
many a fine row together. Do you remember, 
on our trip home from the Siberian mines — 
But there, that story will keep till I publish my 
life. Yes, we will call upon Bruno to help. 
Bruno is to take up the attention of the Gyp- 
sies* big dog; I will take up the attention of the 
men, and you will slip quietly to the wagon and 
set the little captive free. That *s all that is 

203 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


needed — -just set him free. He ’ll do the rest. 
He ’s a good runner.” 

“ But how do you mean to take up the men’s 
attention ? ” 

“ I ’ll attend to that,” GalopofF said, laughing. 
But I shall have to ask my mistress to make 
me a few things I need. Do you think she will 
mind?” 

“ Certainly not. Will you come up to the 
piazza? She is sitting there with her sewing.” 

Galopoff agreed, and went with his master to 
where Lola — now grown-up and married — was 
sitting beside her mending-basket. 

Whatever it was Galopoff said, it amused her 
very much, and she laughingly agreed to make 
the few things he required. But she had to put 
her other work aside ; for the expedition was to 
start that very night. 

Meanwhile, Galopoff trotted out of the yard 
in order to ask Bruno to take part in the plan. 
He found the big dog — nearly as big as the 
pony himself — roaming about the front yard of 


204 


A COUNCIL OF WAR 


his own house, and in a few words explained 
what was wanted. 

“ Will I do it?” Bruno exclaimed. “Sure I 
will, then ; for ’t was a decent little dog he was. 
I met him one day just as he was going by, and 
passed the time of day with him. Besides, I 
had one little argument, like, with the Gypsies’ 
big brute of a dog, and ’t was left unfinished. 
I owe him a nip or two, and we ’ll see which of 
us has the worst of the discussion!” 

Bruno agreed to call at Galopoff’s stable at 
ten o’clock that night, ready to take part in the 
affair, and with his fighting collar on. 

When Galopoff reached home he found the 
things Lola had made for him were ready to be 
tried on, and a jolly time they had making all 
snug and tidy. By dinner-time, about half-past 
six, all was ready, and Galopoff returned to the 
stable in order that he might rest and be fresh 
for his part in the night’s work. 

Galopoff had not the slightest doubt his plan 
would succeed ; and, because he believed so in 


205 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


liimself, the pony usually did succeed in every- 
thing he undertook. Meanwhile Gypsy was 
spending a second day at the Fair, going through 
his tricks to amuse the country folk. 

206 




CHAPTER XVIII 


THE MARCH UPON THE FOE 

G ALOPOFF had been living so quiet and 
peaceable a life that, while he was very 
happy, he had found things a little 
dull. Now that he was going to pass an ex- 
citing night, to have a fight, perhaps, and maybe 
take some sound whacks from the Gypsies’ 
sticks, he felt several years younger already. 
His eyes were bright, and he swished his tail 
and tossed his mane, as he practiced kicking a 
sort of stuffed bag that had been made for the 
purpose. Galopoff had some time before told 
his master that he wanted a kicking-bag. 

“A ‘kicking-bag?’ What’s that?” the Prince 
asked. 

“ Why, it ’s like a man’s puncliing-bag — 

207 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


something to practice on. Sometimes I just 
must kick . Now, Terence is a good boy, though 
he has some of Patrick’s faults, and I don’t 
really want to kick Terence. And yet several 
times I have felt tempted to send Terence flying 
through the stable-door, merely for exercise. So 
I think I would like a kicking-bag.” 

The Prince knew that Terence was in no 
danger, but he had a large leather bag made and 
hung nicely in reach of Galopoff’s sharp little 
heels. It did n’t last very long, for Galopoff 
kicked it to pieces in about six weeks. He told 
his master that it was a great relief to his mind. 

Now, in thinking of their expedition, Galop- 
off aimed kick after kick at the kicking-bag, 
and made it go whack against the stable ceiling, 
again and again, so that Terence knew that 
Galopoff was very happy. It was a sure sign. 

When Galopoff had kicked himself some- 
what out of breath, he rested a little and began 
to think. Then he had another of his good ideas. 
He remembered what a jolly little fellow Chris 
208 


THE MARCH UPON THE FOE 


was, and liow brave he had been when the 
Gypsy Joe came to reclaim the dog, and Galop- 
off decided that he would ask Chris to be one of 
the rescuing party. Galopoff was never locked 
up. Both the bar of his stall and the door of 
his stable were arranged so that he could open 
them from the outside or inside, by ways known 
only to himself, his master and mistress. Turn- 
ing about, he raised the bar of his stall, opened 
the stable door, and was out in a moment. The 
sun was just setting, and Galopoff galloped 
away along the road toward Christopher’s home, 
where he arrived just after dark. 

Galopoff could n’t whistle, and at first lie 
could n’t think how to bring Christopher out. 
He had never talked with any member of that 
family, though he knew Gypsy had told them he 
could talk. Bemembering this, Galopoff went 
up near to the lighted windows, and gave a low 
whinny, and then called “ Chris, oh, Chris ! ” 

There was no answer. Galopoff went closer 
to the window and tried again. This time 

209 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Chris came to the inside of the window, raised 
the shade and looked out. He could not at first 
see much, looking from the lighted room into 
the darkness ; but as his eyes became used to the 
change he saw Galopoff standing near the house, 
and knew him at once by his white mane and 
white tail. Opening the window, he said : 

“ What is it, Galopoff? Anything wrong at 
your house ? ” 

“ Not at all,” said the pony. “ We ’re always 
all right. But I have found your dog Gypsy.” 

“ Found Gypsy!” exclaimed Chris. “Why, 
I thought he was in Europe.” 

“ He came back. I have n’t had much time 
to talk with him yet, but he is in trouble. Some- 
how he has fallen into the hands of the Gypsies 
again, and they are showing his tricks at the 
County Fair.” 

“ But we must rescue him,” said Chris. 

“We will,” said Galopoff. “That is why I 
am here. I came after you. Go and ask your 
father whether you can come over to my home, 


210 


THE MARCH UPON THE FOE 


and may go with my master to get the dog away 
from the Gypsies. Go at once, for I wish to 
take you back with me. Hurry, Chris.” 

Chris closed the window and pulled down the 
shade. 

While Chris was consulting his father Galop- 
off went round to the front door and waited 
impatiently for the boy to appear. When the 
door opened, Chris and Helen both stood there, 
and, as usual, both began to talk at once. 
Galopoff did n’t understand a word. 

“Ahem ! ” said he, “ it ’s a charming duet, 
but I can’t tell what it is all about. Chris, 
since you are going with me, suppose you let 
Helen have a few words ? ” 

“ Thank you, Galopoff,” said Helen. “ I just 
wanted to tell you that father says Chris can go, 
and that I have brought my goldpiece, so that 
you may have some money if you need it.” 

“ Here is mine, too,” Chris added, drawing it 
from his pocket. 

“ Very well,” Galopoff answered. “ Put them 


21 I 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


in your pocket again, hop on my back, and 
away we go ! ” 

Chris caught hold of the mane, leaped on 
GalopofFs back, Helen waved her hand and 
wished them good luck, Galopoff gave a quick 
bound that almost unseated Chris, wheeled 
about, and trotted down the road. 

When Galopoff reached his home again, he 
told Chris to go up to the house and explain to 
the Prince that he was a new recruit for the 
expedition. And meanwhile Galopoff advised 
him to take a little nap until it was time to start. 
Chrrs found this advice good, and followed it, 
after a little talk with his friend the Prince. 

At ten o’clock Bruno came trotting into the 
yard, and was warmly greeted by Galopoff, who 
praised him for being punctual. In a few 
minutes more the Prince and Chris came from 
the house, and the expedition was ready to start. 

Galopoff invited Chris to ride, and the Prince 
and Bruno went alongside. It was quite a long 
walk, but the Prince was too heavy for Galopoff 


THE MARCH UPON THE FOE 


to carry, and they did not care to take any 
other of the horses with them. After Chris was 
mounted a large bundle was strapped to the 
saddle behind him, and then the four members 
of the rescue expedition took the road for the 
Gypsy encampment. 

It was a cloudy night, with occasional glimpses 
of the moon. As they were still a long way 
from the encampment, they did not mind making 
a little noise and talking a little. Bruno, who 
had a great respect for the pony, kept close 
to his head, and the Prince talked with Chris, 
explaining what Galopoff’s plan was. Now that 
Chris had joined them, there was a change 
made : it was decided that Chris should be the 
one to release Gypsy from his chain, and that 
the Prince should do his part in the conflict 
with the men. On the way the Prince stepped 
to the side of the road, and cut himself a stout 
cudgel. He did not mean to use it unless he 
was forced to defend himself. Chris had no 
weapon, since he was to take no part in the battle. 


213 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


Bruno needed no other weapon than his teeth, 
and Galopoff always had his four hoofs with 
him. And then, besides, there was that mysteri- 
ous bundle strapped to the back of his saddle. 

Now they were coming near to the Gypsies’ 
settlement, and it was time the bundle was 
opened. They drew aside into a piece of woods, 
and the Prince took the bundle, opened it and 
drew from it some clothing. Then, to Chris’s 
amusement, the Prince shook these things out, and 
Galopoff, with his master’s help, proceeded to 
put them on. The costume, which had been made 
by Lola to fit Galopoff, was of coarse sheeting, 
and was like a giant’s pajamas — being a loose 
jacket and trousers, but with tapes instead of 
buttons to fasten it. Besides the clothing there 
was a tall, white pointed cap, from which hung 
a loose veil to cover Galopoff’s head, and having 
places cut for his eyes. 

When this was all put on, and Galopoff stood 
up on his hind legs, he made a curious figure — 
a figure very amusing to his friends, who had 


214 


THE MARCH UPON THE FOE 


seen him pui it on, but one that would be really 
terrifying to any who did not know what it was. 

“What do you think of my dress, Chris?” 
GalopofF asked, when Bruno was out of the 
way. 

“ It ’s the funniest thing I ever saw,” said 
Chris, laughing. 

“It may be funny to you,” Galopoff answered; 
“ but you will find that it will scare those dog- 
thieves out of their seven senses and a year’s 
growth. And, by the way, be sure to warn 
Gypsy about it, or he may be scared, too ; for 
I shall make some blood-curdling shrieks if my 
voice holds out.” 

At this moment Bruno came near again, and 
so Galopoff had to stop talking. He could not 
have said much more, anyway ; for now they 
saw the gleam of the Gypsies’ bonfire through 
the woods, and all were silent, creeping nearer 
and nearer to the sleeping camp. 

Even Gypsy himself, who was wide awake 
and anxiously looking for the arrival of his res- 
215 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


cuers, had nothing to warn him of their ap- 
proach until Galopoff gave a wild cry at the top 
of his lungs, which he did to make everybody 
in the camp look that way, while Chris slipped 
around at the other side and came close to 
Gypsy’s wagon-prison. Again Galopoff called 
aloud, and then was silent. Everybody in the 
Gypsies’ camp awoke, and all gazed into the 
darkness that surrounded them, wondering what 
could have made so queer a noise. 

Meanwhile Chris, unnoticed, was making his 
way to the wagon where Gypsy was chained. 

216 


CHAPTER XIX 
THE BATTLE IN THE WOODS 

A FTER the attacking party had returned 
to their homes Chris, of course, went 
straight to bed ; and it was high time, 
for it was half-past midnight. But in the 
morning — which, luckily, was Saturday, and I 
don’t know what they would have done if it had 
been a school-day, for Helen positively could n’t 
have waited another minute to hear about it — 
in the morning at breakfast Helen began on 
Chris before she began on her toast, and she 
always took toast before she took anything else. 
“Oh, Chris,” she said, “did you get him?” 
“Did we get him?” he repeated in a scorn- 
ful, big-brotherish sort of tone. Do you see me 
alive, sister, dear? Or did I leave my mortal 

14— Gypsy. 2 I 7 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


frame on the field of carnage? Did we get him, 
indeed ?” 

“ Now, Chris,” said Helen, “ it is n’t declama- 
tion-day. You stop your boy-on-the-burning- 
deck talk, and let me know all about it. Please, 
do, Chris ? ” 

“ ‘ Listen, me sister, and you shall hear 

Of the midnight fight of your brother dear,’ ” 

Chris began. Whereupon Helen pretended she 
was about to throw a biscuit at him and he 
stopped. 

“ Honest and true, Helen, it was great. And 
I am just dying to tell you about it. But I am 
going to leave out all the first part and get right 
to the real exciting part. You know how 
Galopoff came for me, and how I rode away on 
his back. Well, when we got there I took a 
little snooze to prepare me for the fray, and 
about ten or half-past we set out — Galopoff and 
his master, Bruno and myself. I rode on Galopoff, 
at his invitation, and it Tvas bully. The others 
218 


THE BATTLE IN THE WOODS 


walked. When we were almost there, they all 
stopped, and Galopoff pat on the funniest rig 
you ever saw — a suit of horse-pajamas — and 
then when he reared up and walked on his hind 
legs he looked like — well, all possessed. It 
would make a cow laugh to see him. It made 
me.” 

“ What was that for ? ” Helen asked. 

“You ’ll see,” Chris answered. He liked to 
tell stories in his own way. “ Then the Russian 
Prince cut a big stick with a knob on the end, 
and we went on, going through the woods like a 
lot of fellows going to hook apples. I went 
first, because I had to sheer round to one side, 
so as to take the enemy in the rear. You see, 
Helen, the pony had told us Gypsy was chained 
up in one of the wagons, and it was my proud 
privilege to set him free.” 

“How were you going to cut the chain?” asked 
Helen. 

“ That shows,” said Chris, “ that you have a 
big head. Do you know, none of us thought 

219 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


about tliat ? I suppose we thought that he would 
be fastened only by a snap-hook.” 

“And was he?” asked Helen, delighted to be 
praised. 

“If the audience,” Chris remarked, “will keep 
their seats and refrain from interrupting the 
lecturer, they will be informed of all points of 
importance in due course of time.” 

“ Chris, do go on ! ” cried Helen. 

“As you will, me gracious queveen ! I sheered 
off, as I have told you, and went on a circum- 
bendibus route. Meanwhile the cavalry — 
Galopoff — the artillery, and the rest of the forces 
advanced in good order. I got to the wagon all 
right, all right, and there was Gypsy wagging 
his stumpum tailum fit to shake himself, and 
dancing about like a new girl at dancing-school. 
His chain rattled, and I was afraid they would 
hear him. Meanwhile I had raised the signal 
for the attack by liooting like an owl. And 
then and thereupon Galopoff raised that voice of 
his, and emitted a howl that he must have in- 


220 



Gyt>sy — io. 

“‘NOW, CHRIS, LET ME KNOW ALL ABOUT IT.’” 

See p 218. 











‘ 














































THE BATTLE IN THE WOODS 

vented for the occasion. It made my flesh creep, 
and I was ready for it, too. It woke the echoes, 
the Gypsies, the watch-dog and everything else. 

“ Then the fun began. The Gypsies jumped 
out. They have the untidy but convenient habit 
of sleeping in their clothes, and so they were 
all ready. Every one of them seemed to have 
a stick, too. They sprang to their feet, and tried 
to find out what had happened. The only one 
that seemed to keep his senses was their big 
black dog. He showed fight, but, as he came 
forward, Bruno fell on him like a cartload of 
bricks, and at it they went. It would have been 
worth seeing, except there was n’t time to look 
at it. For just then Galopoff appeared walking 
on his hind legs with his big foolscap hat on, 
looking like — nothing anybody ever saw. 
Gypsy was scared, but I said, 1 Hush ! It ’s 
only Galopoff in white clothes/ and he kept 
quiet.” 

“ Goodness ! ” Helen exclaimed. “Did it; 
frighten the Gypsies?” 


221 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“I should remark ! ” said Cliris. “ They just 
howled. But the oldest one was game. He 
drew a pistol, and, though his hand shook, he 
tried to fire it. But just then the Russian came 
on a run, and sent the pistol flying with his cud- 
gel. The other Gypsies had taken to their 
heels, and we could hear them crashing through 
the woods and bumping their heads into branches 
and other hard objects.” 

“And what were you doing ? ” Helen asked. 

“ I admit that for a little while I was watch- 
ing the rumpus,” Chris replied; “and then, 
suddenly remembering that Galopoff, our gene- 
ral, expected every man to do his duty, I turned 
my attention to the chain question. I tried to 
find the hook ; but there was no hook. I found 
the chain fastened with a little padlock. I was 
scared then ; for I did n’t see exactly how I was 
going to carry off dog and wagon and all. 

“ At length Gypsy, seeing my trouble, asked 
me coolly: 4 Have you a knife?’ And I re- 
plied : 4 Yes ; but you can’t cut steel with a 


222 


THE BATTLE IN THE WOODS 


knife/ Then he said : ‘ But you can cut leather 
with a knife. Why don’t you cut my collar?’ 
And then my great intellect saw the point, and, 
taking out my trusty jackknife, I slit the leather, 
and the dog was free! 

“He jumped out of the wagon, and we joined 
our victorious forces — or all but one.” 

“I hope no one was hurt?” Helen asked, 
anxiously. 

“ No. The missing battalion was that of 
General Bruno. He had put the big watch-dog 
to an ignominious flight, and was chasing him 
into the next county. The rest of us were all 
present or accounted for, and Gypsy was jump- 
ing about us all and wriggling and whining, the 
happiest thing you ever see.” 

“Chris,” Helen objected, “that isn’t gram- 
mar.” 

“It is poetry,” said Chris. “Like Shake- 
speare. He and I have a grammar of our own. 
Where was I? Oh, yes. Well, Galopoff was 
trying to get rid of his costume, and Gypsy 

223 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


almost smothered himself in the folds of it try- 
ing to help. After a while the pony jumped 
out of the ruins of his pajamas; I got on his 
back with Gypsy in my arms, and a retreat was 
ordered without awaiting the return of General 
Bruno. I don’t know whether he is back yet, 
and I ’m sure those Gypsies will not be back for 
a week.” 

‘‘But, Chris,” Helen objected, after she had 
clapped her hands with delight over the glorious 
news, “what is to prevent those men from hang- 
ing around here and stealing Gypsy some other 
time?” 

“That shows the wisdom of our commander, 
the celebrated General Galopoff. If he had n’t 
scared the thieves, they would never have rested 
until they had the dog again; but now they 
don’t know what it was that sent them flying, 
and probably they will be only too glad to get 
away with their lives.” 

“And where is Gypsy?” Helen asked. 

“ He went home with Galopoff, and the pony 


224 



Gypsy — 1 1 . 

‘•‘THE OLDEST ONE 


DREW A PISTOL, AND TRIED TO FIRE IT.’ ” 

See p 222. 















« 
































- • 








































THE BATTLE IN THE WOODS 


said tliat he would bring him over this morning. 
Let us finish our breakfast and go out, so that 
we can see him coming. ,, 

A few more buckwheat cakes and they were 
done, and betook themselves to the lawn, where 
there was a sort of rustic house. Here they sat 
and waited, with their eyes on the road that led 
from their house to that of the Russian Prince. 

“ Sister Helen, Sister Helen ! Can you see 
anything coming ?” Christopher asked several 
times, and at last Helen jumped up and cried: 

“ Yes! I do. And I think — I am sure it is 
Galopoff, with Gypsy riding on his back!” 

Both the children went tumbling out; Galop- 
off broke into a gallop, and came sweeping over 
the lawn with a rush, and Gypsy gave a flying 
leap from the pony’s back and landed in Chris- 
topher^ arms. 

Then there was a joyful time. 

When they were quiet again Galopoff spoke: 

“Do you know, Gypsy,” he asked, “that 
your last leap was a very clever performance ? 

225 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 

It seems to me you show real talent. You 
would do very well as a circus dog.” 

“ But I don’t care to be a circus dog,” said 
Gypsy. “ I want to keep quiet at home. I am 
glad I went to find my master; but I am ever 
so glad to be at home again.” 

“Oh, by the way,” said Chris, “have you 
heard anything of Bruno?” 

“Met him on our way,” GalopofF replied. 
“ He told us that except the one with the clip- 
ped French poodle, it was the best fight he had 
ever had.” 


226 


CHAPTER XX 


IN SAFE HAKBOR 

I T was lucky that it was Saturday. No sooner 
had Galopoff gone home than Chris and 
Helen made Gypsy comfortable on one of 
the benches, and he settled down with a long 
sigh of comfort. 

“ Now,” said Gypsy, “ if my old master were 
only here, I would n’t have a thing to ask for 
in the world.” 

“But why can’t you just stay with us?” 
asked Helen. 

“I can, and I will, if you ’ll have me,” Gypsy 
answered. “My master told me to wait for 
him, and he would come to America; and I 
believe he will.” 

“ Where did you leave him?” Helen asked. 
227 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“Now, Helen,” said Chris, “you always want 
to spoil a story by hearing the end of it first. 
You must wait until Gypsy is all rested out, 
and then let him tell us all about it, from the 
very beginning down to the time when I found 
him in the wagon, and did n’t know enough to 
cut his leather collar and set him free.” 

“ I ’in not tired,” said Gypsy, “ and if you 
have time I can begin my story now. Don’t you 
have to go to school, though ?” 

“ No, thank goodness,” said Helen, “ it is 
Saturday.” 

“ But,” said Chris, “ I think you have done 
enough, Gypsy. We can wait till another time 
for your story. Now, let us plan about your 
staying here. First, I want you to have a nice, 
comfortable dog-house to live in, for I ’m sure 
you would rather sleep outside, would n’t you ? ” 

“ Yes,” Gypsy answered. “ I am no lapdog. 
I have been long enough at sea to like fresh 
air. And, what is more, I want to do something 
for my living. It is all very well for a canary 
228 


IN SAFE HARBOR 


or a parrot to spend liis time eating, sleeping 
and fooling about, but for a dog or a liorse there 
is plenty of work in the world, and they are no 
use except when they do their work.” 

“ Is n’t Galopoff a splendid little fellow ? ” 
Helen exclaimed. 

“Yes, indeed,” said Gypsy. “I owe him 
more than I can ever pay.” 

“He does n’t want any pay,” said Chris. “It 
is nothing but fun for him. He loves to go into 
all sorts of adventures.” 

“ Well, I ’m going over to see him now and 
then,” said Gypsy, “for there is lots to learn 
from a pony like that. Still, I can see where 
he got it. I have been knocking around the 
world myself for the last few months, and I 
have picked up a great deal of useful knowledge. 
But, to tell you the truth, children, I ’m so far 
from being tired that I think a good scamper 
would do me good. Come on ! ” 

So saying, Gypsy jumped down from the 
bench and ran off at full speed, leading Chris 

229 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


and Helen in a regular romp that only ended 
when all three were out of breath. 

And that was the first of many jolly times 
they had together. Sometimes, too, Galopoff 
was one of the party, and when he was it was 
amusing to see him put on all the airs of a very 
dignified creature. He would watch indulgently 
their wild games of tag, or hide-and-seek, or 
magic music, until he became so interested that 
he forgot to be sedate and reserved. 

Then he would join in with all the spirit of 
his younger days, and the whole quartet would 
romp and play like school let out. Then, too, 
Gypsy and Galopoff would become interested in 
practicing tricks and performances, and no circus 
ever showed livelier and more exciting feats 
than were performed by the dog and his friend 
the pony. 

Galopoff was always talkative, but Gypsy 
never had much to say, and it was only after 
many days that the children learned of all his ad- 
ventures — of his two sea voyages, his two railroad 

230 


IN SAFE HARBOR 


journeys, his stay in Madagascar, his two times 
of captivity in the Gypsies’ camp, and his early 
life in Paris. 

And, by the way, the Gypsies seemed to have 
left the country, for neither Alexander nor Joe 
nor their dog Blacky nor any of the tribe were 
seen about that part of the country again. 
Nobody knew where they were, and really no- 
body cared. 

So the year rolled away through the spring 
and the fall and to another winter. And, 
queerly enough, as the month of November 
came to a close, December began. But even then 
time still kept rolling on, and days were counted 
into weeks until that remarkable annual oc- 
currence known as Christmas was about ready 
to happen. And one day the sun rose as usual, 
and, behold, all the calendars agreed that it was 
the 2oth of December; and Chris and Helen 
arose at the same awful hour of earliness, de- 
scended upon their stuffed stockings like a 
couple of crows on two cornstalks, and indus- 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


triously dug their way down to the toes of the 
stockings, and there found two more gold- 
pieces, and then remembered that they had never 
spent the first two that had come a whole year 
before. 

But, strange as that was, something still more 
remarkable happened before the day was done. 
They had a Christmas tree. But that was n’t it. 
And when the doors were opened to show the 
tree there stood a real Santa Claus. But that 
was n’t the remarkable thing, either. And 
when the Santa Claus came forward with his 
red robe and his long, white beard, Gypsy, who 
had been looking on in a quiet and dignified 
manner, though enjoying everything, including 
a handsome new silver collar, suddenly seemed 
to lose his wits. He jumped forward and whined 
and wagged his tail and barked himself hoarse, 
as he leaped up on “ Santa Claus,” who seemed 
quite as much excited as Gypsy himself. 

Chris and Helen did n’t understand this at 
all. They had supposed that their father had 

232 



Gypsy — 12. 

“GYPSY BARKED HIMSELF HOARSE, AS HE LEAPED UPON SANTA 

CLAUS.” 


See p. 232 







IN SAFE HARBOR 


dressed liimself up to be Santa Claus, and they 
had never seen Gypsy show so much affection 
for him before. But now their father came in, 
and Santa Claus took off his mask and beard, 
and they saw a pleasant, jolly, smiling face, but 
one they had never seen before. 

“Who is it, father?” asked Christopher. 
“Who is it?” 

“ I know, I know,” cried Helen. “ I believe 
it is Gypsy’s master come to America!” 

And that was it. Helen was right. And 
then neither wondered at Gypsy’s delight over 
this unexpected Christmas present. 

They found out afterwards that the Russian 
Prince, Galopoff’s master, having friends in 
Paris, and the French being on the best of terms 
with the Russians, was able to secure a discharge 
from service for the French soldier, and had 
also seen that there was money enough sent him 
to enable him to pay his way to America. He 
had arrived only a day before Christmas, and 
233 


IS— Gypsy. 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


then the little surprise had been arranged. 
I suspect Galopoff had a hoof in it. 

So now all were together again. Chris and 
Helen’s father was very glad to give the French- 
man a place as gardener and handy-man until 
he could find some pleasanter or more profitable 
work, and Gypsy went to stay in a sort of little 
porters lodge, where he and his master were 
made at home. 

Only one dissatisfied creature remained, and 
that was Galopoff. He professed to think it 
very stupid for the dog’s adventures to end so 
happily. He told Chris and Helen that “ the 
only way to enjoy life was to keep moving and 
to get all the adventures one could.” But this 
did not bother the children at all, for they saw 
that Galopoff himself was quite willing to remain 
quietly at home, instead of running about seek- 
ing strange experiences. 

One day, when the children and Galopoff 
were near the rustic summer-house, Chris said 
to the pony, as he pointed to Gypsy’s master at 
234 


IN SAFE HARBOR 


work on the greenhouses, with the little dog 
sitting contentedly at his master’s heels : 

“ Galopoff, do you think those two ought to 
go out in the world again, just so they might 
have exciting times ? Come, tell the truth now, 
and without making believe. ,, 

“ Christopher,’’ said Galopoff, “it is a long 
time since I have talked any poetry, but now 
I ’in going to repeat a few lines that I made up 
myself, and they will answer your question for 
you. Here they are : 


“ The quiet nag that stays at home 
"Will never know both Greece and Rome ; 
But nags that stay at home in peace 
Will never miss either Rome or Greece. 
So choose whichever suits you best — 
Who is not tired cannot rest.” 


The children applauded these beautiful lines, 
and Galopoff bowed very gravely, as a poet 
should. 

Then Christopher said : 

235 


GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 


“ But that is as much as to say, 4 Leave well 
enough alone/ ” 

44 Exactly,” said Galopoff. 44 Suppose we ask 
Gypsy what he thinks ?” 

So they called Gypsy over, and Helen asked 
him : 

44 Which would you rather do, Gypsy, stay 
here or go out into the world again and have 
exciting adventutes ? Galopoff wants to know/’ 

“ 4 East or West, Hame is Best,’” said Gypsy, 
and scampered back to his master. 

“ He ’s right,” said Galopoff. 

THE END 


"236 








GALOPOFF, the talking pony 

By TUDOR JENKS 

Author of “GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG,” Etc. 

A F ew of the Good Things Said About the Book 


" No child could resist the enticing whimsicalities of a little horse that talked 
once a month like a serial story.” — The Literary Wor Id, Boston, Mass. 

"For a pony to talk is not of itself wonderful in these days, hut for any- 
thing with four feet to talk as does the little horse of Mr. Jenks is more than 
wonderful — it is entertaining.” — Times Saturday Review , New York, N. Y. 

" It should be placed in easy reach of all children who desire the pleasures of 
good reading and nice illustrations.” — Church Progress, St. Louis, Mo. 

“ Tudor Jenks has written some delightful things for ' grown people,' but the 
story of ‘Galopoff, the Talking Pony,’ will endear him to all young folks who 
are fortunate enough to hear even one chapter read aloud.” — Public Ledger , 
Philadelphia, Pa. 

“ Galopoft’s story is more interesting than is that of many human beings.”— 
Boston Ideas, Boston, Mass. 

" Galopoff seems to have galloped off the pages of A2sop, he is so talented 
and so wise.” — Commercial Gazette, Pittsburg, Pa. 

44 The mantle of Lewis Carroll, author of the ‘Alice ’ books, has surely fallen 
on Mr. Tudor Jenks. Nothing could be more delightful than the rare, bright 
fun of these chapters." — The Church Militant, Boston, Mass. 

44 The Talking Pony is a character with whom every one, children and older 
people, too. would certainly do well to have a listening acquaintance.” — The 
Criterion , New York, N. Y. 

"It is as enjoyable as 'Black Beauty’ or ‘Alice in Wonderland.’” — Pica - 
yune. New Orleans, La. 

"The immediate effect of reading the first chapters of ‘Galopoff’ to the 
reviewer’s children was to make the father of those children order a dozen 
copies of the book for the fathers of other children.” — The Outlook, New York, 
N. Y. 

" It ought to be one of the most popular of juvenile books.” — Sentinel, Mil- 
waukee, Wis. 

“ The pony seems as natural under the clever manipulation of Mr. Jenks as 
the veriest kitten.” — State Journal, Lincoln, Neb. 


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FOR PREY AND SPOILS; OR 
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GYPSY, THE TALKING DOG 

By TUDOR JENKS 

It is fortunate that Gypsy, on his way to America, met Galopoff, the Talking 
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